THE  AMERICAN  HISTORY 
STORY-BOOK 


ALBERT  F.  BLAISDELL  AND 
FRANCIS  K.BALL 


EDUCATION 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY 
STORY-BOOK 


albert  j 

AND 

jfrancte  &,  Ball 


THE  AMERICAN  HISTORY  STORY-BOOK 
THE  ENGLISH  HISTORY  STORY-BOOK 
THE  CHILD'S  BOOK  OF  AMERICAN  HISTORY 
HEROIC  DEEDS  OF  AMERICAN  SAILORS 
AMERICAN  HISTORY  FOR  LITTLE  FOLKS 
PIONEERS  OF  AMERICA 
LOG  CABIN  DAYS 


•  t »», 

.,>(   i        *• 


YOUNG  CAPTAIN  GRANDPRE,  SWORD  IN  HAND,  FACED 
THE  DRAGOON. 

FRONTISPIECE.    See  Page  117. 


The  American  History 
Story- Book 


BY 
ALBERT  F.  BLAISDELL 

AND 

FRANCIS  K.  BALL 


WITH   ILLUSTRATIONS   BY 

FRANK    T.    MERRILL 


[NON-REFERT 


Boston 
Little,  Brown,  and  Company 

1928 


Copyright',  1911,-  ' 

T&t.  Jjf*^£,«  BROWN;,  ^ANO'. 


All  rights  reserved 
EDUCATION  DEPT, 


PRINTED   IN  THE   UNITED   STATES   OF   AMERICA 


PREFACE 

THIS  little  book  is  designed  to  be  used  as 
a  supplementary  historical  reader  for  the 
fourth  and  fifth  grades  of  our  public  schools, 
or  for  other  young  persons  from  ten  to  fifteen 
years  of  age.  It  is  also  intended  for  collateral 
reading  in  connection  with  the  study  of  the 
numerous  elementary  text-books  on  Ameri 
can  history. 

The  authors  have  attempted  to  describe 
in  some  detail  the  perils,  the  arduous  struggles, 
the  stern  lessons  of  self-denial,  and  the 
staunch  patriotism  of  the  early  settlers  of 
this  country.  Personal  anecdotes  and  inci 
dents  which  thrill  us  because  of  their  human 
element  and  which  smack  of  the  picturesque 
life  of  our  forefathers  have  been  freely  used. 
Such  historical  material,  instinct  with  human 
life,  serves  a  most  useful  purpose  in  teach- 


M69835 


PREFACE 

ing  elementary  history.  Experienced  teachers 
know  that  such  material  attracts  and  holds 
the  attention  of  boys  and  girls  and  tends 
to  stimulate  them  to  learn  more  about  the 
history  of  their  country. 

These  stories  rest  upon  a  substantial  his 
torical  basis.  They  have  been  diligently 
culled  from  many  trustworthy  sources. 
This  book  would  indeed  prove  of  little 
worth  to  young  people  if  it  could  be  read 
at  a  glance  and  then  thrown  aside  like  the 
ordinary  story-book.  It  is  suggested  that 
teachers  and  parents  supplement  and  enrich 
the  text  of  this  book  with  such  other  his 
torical  material  as  may  be  readily  obtained 
from  school,  home,  or  public  libraries. 

ALBERT  F.  BLAISDELL. 

FRANCIS  K.  BALL. 

May,  1911. 


VI 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTBK  PAGB 

I.  ELIZABETH  TILLEY,  THE  YOUNG  PILGEIM  GIRL  .  1 

II.  SQUANTO  HELPS  THE  PILGRIMS     ....  9 

III.  THE  BRAVERY  OF  HANNAH  DUSTIN     ...  19 

IV.  A  FAMOUS  WRITING  -  DESK 28 

V.  BESSIE  FISHER  OUTWITS  THE  TORIES  ...  37 

VI.  TEMPY  WICKS  HIDES  HER  HORSE       ...  44 

VII.  PEGGY  MILLER  GOES  MARKETING        ...  50 

VIII.  PAUL  RUSSELL'S  BACON  is  SAVED        ...  59 

IX.  FIGHTING  THE  BRITISH  WITH  BEES     ...  67 

X.  A  TIMELY  JACK  -  o'  -  LANTERN      ....  73 

XI.  MERCY  TYLER  TRAPS  A  PANTHER        ...  80 

XII.  BESSIE  BRANDON'S  UNEXPECTED  GUEST     .       .  86 

XIII.  DAVID  MILLER  KILLS  A  RATTLESNAKE       .       .  92 

XIV.  LITTLE  JARVIS,  THE  MIDSHIPMAN  ....  98 
XV.  HELEN  PATTERSON'S  ESCAPE         .       .       .       .106 

XVI.  A  LAST  BLOW  FOR  SPAIN 112 

XVII.  THE  CHARGE  OF  THE  HOUNDS      ....  121 

XVIII.  THE  DEFENSE  OF  FORT  STEPHENSON  .               .  126 


Vll 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Young  Captain  Grandpre,  sword  in  hand,  faced  the 

dragoon Frontispiece 

Squanto  now  taught  them  how  to  get  the  old  Indian 

cornfield  ready  for  a  new  crop         ....     Page    15 
Mr.  Dustin  stopped  his  horse  and  faced  the  savages  23 

"  That  will  make    King   George  gnash  his  teeth," 

said  the  genial  old  gentleman         ....  33 

It  was  a  mad  race  for  an  hour 57 

"  Do  you  please  sit  down  with  me,  and  I  shall  enjoy 

this  good  breakfast  with  you  "       ....         "90 


THE  AMERICAN  HISTORY 
STORY-BOOK 


ELIZABETH  TILLEY,  THE  YOUNG  PILGRIM  GIRL 

JOHN  TILLEY  was  a  blacksmith.     He 
lived  in  London,  where  with  plenty  of 
work  he  made  a  home  for  himself  and  his 
family. 

Now  there  were  some  people  in  England 
who  did  not  like  the  English  church  and  be 
lieved  they  had  a  right  to  worship  God  in 
their  own  way.  John  Tilley  was  one  of  them. 
The  King  of  England  told  them  they  must  go 
to  his  church  or  be  sent  to  prison.  Some  of 
these  people  were  really  put  into  prison; 
others  were  driven  from  their  homes  and 
native  land;  some  were  even  put  to  death. 

1 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

"  Let  us  go  away/7  they  said  to  one  an 
other.  "  Let  us  find  a  country  where  we  can 
worship  God  as  we  please." 

And  so  it  came  to  pass  that  they  hired  a 
vessel,  and  with  their  women  and  children 
crossed  the  sea  to  Holland.  Here  they  were 
allowed  to  worship  as  they  saw  fit. 
:  .John  Tilley's  daughter  Elizabeth  thought 
Holland  was  an  odd  country.  Indeed  it  is. 
It  is  almost  as  flat  as  a  floor.  It  is  so  low  and 
so  little  above  the  level  of  the  sea  that  the 
tide  could  flow  over  the  land.  The  people 
of  Holland  built  great  walls,  called  dykes, 
which  kept  the  ocean  out.  But  there  were 
canals  which  ran  everywhere  like  great  spider- 
webs,  even  through  the  main  streets  of  the 
cities. 

As  the  years  passed  by,  other  good  people 
came  across  the  sea  from  England,  to  make 
homes  for  themselves  in  Holland.  At  the 
end  of  twelve  years  there  were  about  a  thou 
sand  of  them.  They  were  a  thrifty  and  hard 
working  people.  They  liked  their  new  friends, 

2 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

and  were  liked  by  them.  Still,  it  was  not 
England;  and  at  last  they  began  to  feel  that 
it  was  not  best  for  them  to  live  any  longer 
in  a  strange  land.  Their  children  were  already 
learning  the  ways  of  the  country  and  could 
speak  Dutch  as  well  as  English. 

"  We  are  pilgrims  in  a  strange  land,"  mur 
mured  the  good  Elder  Brewster. 

"  This  will  never  do  in  the  world,"  said 
Goodman  Tilley  to  his  wife  one  day.  "  Look 
at  Elizabeth  and  the  children  she  is  playing 
with  in  the  garden.  They  are  talking  Dutch 
so  fast  I  don't  know  a  word  they  are  saying. 
It  is  high  time  for  us  to  cross  the  great  ocean 
and  make  a  new  home  for  ourselves  in 
America." 

"  In  truth,  John,"  answered  Goodwife  Til- 
ley,  "  we  could  indeed  live  there  under  the 
rule  of  King  James  of  England  and  yet  be 
free  to  worship  as  we  pleased.  Let  us  talk  it 
over  with  our  good  pastor,  Elder  Robinson, 
and  get  his  advice." 

Thus  it  came  about  that  in  the  suncuaer  of 
3 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

1620  a  little  company  of  these  people  bade 
good-by  to  Holland,  and  sailed  away  to 
England  in  an  old  vessel  called  the  Speed 
well. 

Another  vessel,  named  the  Mayflower,  was 
waiting  for  them.  The  Speedwell,  however, 
was  found  to  be  too  old  and  leaky  to  make  the 
voyage  across  the  Atlantic.  She  was  said  to 
be  as  open  and  leaky  as  a  sieve.  After  many 
delays  a  hundred  people  were  crowded  into 
the  Mayflower  and  set  sail  from  Plymouth  in 
September,  1620,  on  the  long  voyage  across  the 
sea. 

At  first  Elizabeth  Tilley  and  several  other 
young  girls  of  her  age  liked  to  watch  the  waves 
and  the  strange  sights  about  the  vessel.  But 
after  a  time  it  came  on  stormy,  and  the  women 
and  children  were  often  sent  below,  where  it 
was  cold  and  dreary,  with  scarcely  room 
enough  to  move  about.  It  was  a  long  voyage 
of  sixty-three  days.  The  Mayflower  was  a 
frail  rnd  leaky  craft  to  cross  the  Atlantic  even 
iri  midsummer.  Storm  after  storm  arose,  and 

4 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

it  often  seemed  as  if  the  vessel  would  go  to 
the  bottom  with  all  on  board. 

In  the  midst  of  the  ocean  a  baby  was  born 
to  Master  Stephen  Hopkins  and  his  wife 
Elizabeth.  We  are  told  that  the  tiny  baby 
was  a  great  comfort  to  all  on  board. 

"  What  shall  we  name  him?  "  asked  Eliza 
beth  Tilley  of  her  mother  one  day,  when  the 
boy  was  a  week  old. 

"  The  poor  thing  was  born  on  the  ocean; 
and  why  not  call  him  Oceanus?  ': 

The  name  pleased  the  mother,  and  the  baby 
was  named  Oceanus  Hopkins. 

"  Land!  land!  "  shouted  a  sailor,  early  one 
morning. 

Yes,  there  was  land;  but  it  was  not  Vir 
ginia  or  New  Jersey,  as  the  Pilgrims  expected. 
The  last  storm  had  driven  the  Mayflower 
out  of  her  course.  They  had  come  to  what 
is  now  known  as  the  coast  of  New  Eng 
land.  The  low,  sandy  beach  before  them 
was  the  tip  of  Cape  Cod.  In  spite  of  the  per 
ilous  shoals  and  head  winds  the  Mayflower 

5 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

rounded  the  Cape,  and  soon  dropped  anchor 
in  what  is  now  the  harbor  of  Province- 
town. 

This  was  late  in  November,  in  the  year 
1620.  How  cold  and  bleak  the  icy  coast  of 
Cape  Cod  looked  on  that  November  day! 
There  was  not  a  living  thing  to  be  seen  any 
where,  except  the  gulls,  as  they  flew  with 
shrill  cries  across  the  harbor. 

Before  anybody  went  ashore,  a  writing  was 
drawn  up,  and  forty-one  of  the  men  signed  it. 
They  used  Governor  Bradford's  chest  for  a 
table.  In  this  writing  they  said  they  would 
defend  one  another  and  obey  such  laws  as 
should  be  made.  They  also  chose  John  Carver 
as  governor  of  the  colony. 

Bright  and  early  the  first  morning  on  shore 
the  women  went  to  washing  the  clothes,  for 
they  had  not  been  able  to  do  washing  on 
board  the  Mayflower.  This  was  on  a  Monday; 
and  Monday,  as  we  know,  has  ever  since  been 
used  in  New  England  as  wash-day. 

Meanwhile  the  men  made  three  trips  along 
6 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

the  shore  of  Cape  Cod  Bay,  to  find  a  place 
to  build  their  homes.  The  third  trip  was  made 
in  their  frail  sailboat.  It  was  bitter  cold, 
and  the  sea  was  rough.  A  snowstorm  set  in, 
and  they  were  soon  in  great  peril.  The  rudder 
broke,  and  the  mast  came  crashing  down  on 
their  heads.  The  men  rowed  toward  a  little 
cove  and  brought  their  boat  ashore.  This 
proved  to  be  on  an  island  well  out  from  the 
mainland.  It  is  now  known  as  Clarke's 
Island.  On  the  next  day  but  one  they  rowed 
over  to  the  mainland. 

At  last  they  had  found  a  good  place.  This 
was  Plymouth.  They  called  it  "  a  beautiful 
spot,  with  cornfields  and  little  running 
brooks/7  They  quickly  sailed  back  to  Cape 
Cod  to  carry  the  good  news. 

The  Mayflower  had  been  at  anchor  in 
Provincetown  Harbor  for  a  month.  The 
frozen  sails  were  now  unfurled,  the  anchor 
raised,  and  the  good  ship  was  headed  for  the 
mainland  across  the  great  bay  of  Cape  Cod. 
On  Saturday,  December  21,  1620,  the  May- 

7 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

flower  dropped  anchor  in  Plymouth  Harbor, 
about  a  mile  from  the  shore. 

At  last  the  long  voyage  was  at  an  end.  The 
Pilgrims  had  found  a  home  on  the  bleak  shore 
of  New  England. 

And  what  about  Elizabeth  Tilley?  John 
Tilley  and  his  wife  did  not  endure  the  cold 
and  hunger  of  the  first  winter.  They  died 
early  the  next  spring.  Elizabeth  married  a 
man  by  the  name  of  John  Howland.  This  was 
the  young  man  that  fell  overboard  in  mid- 
ocean,  but  was  quick  enough  to  catch  hold  of 
a  trailing  rope,  and  was  pulled  on  board  the 
Mayflower  more  dead  than  alive.  As  the 
records  tell  us,  this  worthy  couple  were  still 
living  thirty  years  after  the  landing,  with  a 
family  of  ten  children.  Elizabeth  lived  for 
sixty-seven  years  after  reaching  the  Plymouth 
shore. 


8 


II 

SQUANTO   HELPS   THE   PILGRIMS 

WHEN  the  Pilgrims  reached  New  Eng 
land,  their  hardships  had  only  be 
gun.  The  Mayflower  had  to  anchor 
more  than  a  mile  from  the  shore,  the  water 
was  so  shallow.  Except  at  high  tide  they 
could  not  land,  even  in  their  boat,  without 
wading  in  the  icy  water.  Some  of  the  men 
made  a  trip  ashore  to  spy  out  the  land.  The 
weather  was  cold  and  stormy  and  the  whole 
country  looked  bleak  and  dreary;  for  winter 
had  set  in  early  that  year. 

The  place  where  the  Pilgrims  landed  had 
once  been  an  Indian  village.  They  thought 
they  should  find  Indians  lurking  in  the  woods; 
but  all  the  people  had  died  of  the  plague, 

9 


THE   AMERICAN    HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

and  not  a  living  creature  was  to  be  seen.  The 
cornfields  were  left  for  the  newcomers  to 
plant.  There  were  several  running  brooks 
and  a  large  spring  close  by,  from  which  they 
could  get  plenty  of  fresh  water. 

The  first  thing  to  do  was  to  stake  out  the 
land  and  build  some  kind  of  house.  That 
first  Christmas  on  the  Plymouth  shore  must 
indeed  have  been  hard.  Governor  Bradford 
wrote  in  his  journal,  "  No  man  rested  on  that 
day;  we  had  a  sore  storm  of  wind  and  rain." 
It  was  on  that  dreary  Christmas  morning  that 
they  began  to  build  their  first  log  house,  a 
cabin  about  twenty  feet  square,  for  storing 
their  goods. 

The  women  and  children  stayed  on  board 
the  Mayflower.  They  had  to  breathe  the 
bad  air  of  the  cabin,  and  suffered  from  cold 
and  hunger.  The  men  came  ashore  in  good 
weather  and  worked  all  day  in  building  log 
cabins  and  moving  their  household  goods.  It 
was  slow  and  hard  work.  The  winter  days 
were  short  and  often  stormy.  It  took  a  long 

10 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

time  to  go  to  and  from  the  vessel,  and  their 
food  was  poor  and  scanty. 

So  slow  was  the  work  that  at  the  end  of  the 
first  year  there  were  only  four  log  storehouses 
and  seven  log  cabins  in  the  whole  settlement. 

Sickness  and  death  came  too.  During  the 
first  winter  nearly  one  half  of  the  colony  died. 
At  one  time  there  were  only  seven  persons 
well  enough  to  wait  on  the  sick  and  bury  the 
dead. 

Governor  Bradford  wrote  in  his  journal: 
"  On  the  third  day  of  March  it  was  warm  and 
fair;  the  birds  sang  in  the  woods  most 
pleasantly.  In  the  afternoon  there  was  a 
thunderstorm,  and  it  rained  very  sadly  until 
midnight."  And  two  days  later,  we  are  told, 
one  of  the  children  sowed  some  garden  seeds. 

One  Friday  afternoon  in  March,  when  the 
Pilgrims  were  busy  about  their  log  cabins,  a 
tall,  half -naked  Indian  came  out  of  the  woods 
at  the  top  of  the  hill.  He  walked  boldly 
toward  the  little  village  of  log  houses  and 
cried  out,  "  Welcome,  Englishmen,  welcome! " 

11 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

It  seems  that  the  Indian's  name  was 
Samoset  and  that  he  had  lived  on  the  coast 
of  Maine,  where  he  picked  up  a  few  English 
words  from  the  fishermen.  It  was  believed 
that  he  mistook  the  Mayflower  for  a  fishing 
vessel  and  felt  free  to  enter  the  little  village. 

The  Pilgrims  treated  their  savage  guest 
kindly.  They  gave  him  a  coat  to  cover  his 
bare  shoulders;  and  they  fed  him  on  "  bis 
cuit,  butter,  cheese,  pudding,  and  roast  duck." 
They  would  gladly  have  got  rid  of  their 
guest  for  the  night,  but  he  was  not  willing  to 
go;  and  so  they  let  him  stay  in  one  of  the 
log  houses,  where  they  watched  him  to  keep 
him  from  doing  harm.  In  the  morning  they 
sent  him  away,  u  after  giving  him  a  knife,  a 
bracelet,  and  a  ring." 

Samoset  was  so  well  pleased  with  his  new 
friends  that  he  came  back  on  a  visit  the  next 
day,  which  was  Sunday.  This  time  he  brought 
five  other  Indians  with  him.  They  were  tall, 
sturdy  men,  dressed  in  deerskins.  Some  had 
their  faces  painted  black.  They  brought  their 

12 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

own  food  with  them.  It  was  Indian  corn. 
They  pounded  it  into  meal,  put  it  into  a  little 
water,  and  then  ate  it.  Governor  Bradford 
says:  "  They  would  eat  liberally  of  our  Eng 
lish  victuals;  although  it  was  Sunday,  the 
redskins  sang  and  danced,  after  their  manner, 
like  antics." 

The  Pilgrims  sent  the  Indians  away  before 
night.  Samoset  pretended  to  be  sick;  he 
would  not  go  until  the  next  Wednesday.  He 
went  home  a  well-pleased  and  proud  Indian, 
for  the  Pilgrims  gave  him  "  a  hat,  a  pair  of 
shoes  and  stockings,  a  shirt,  and  a  piece  of 
cloth  to  tie  about  his  waist. " 

On  Thursday  Samoset  came  again,  bringing 
still  another  Indian  with  him.  The  name  of 
this  Indian  was  Squanto,  a  sort  of  nickname 
for  Squantum  or  Tisquantum. 

It  seems  that  Squanto  had  once  lived  in  this 
region,  but  had  been  kidnapped  by  the  cap 
tain  of  an  English  vessel  and  carried  to  Eng 
land.  He  lived  in  London  and  learned  to 
speak  English  pretty  well.  Then  some  kind- 

13 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

hearted  sea-captain  brought  him  back  and  put 
him  ashore  on  the  coast  of  Maine.  Thence  he 
wandered  back  to  his  native  place,  only  to 
find  most  of  his  people  dead.  Squanto  said 
that  many  Indians  once  lived  in  this  region 
and  had  large  fields  of  corn;  but  some  dreadful 
disease  broke  out,  from  which  nearly  all  of 
them  died. 

Squanto  proved  a  useful  friend  to  the  Pil 
grims  from  the  very  first.  He  took  them  out 
to  a  little  river  close  by,  and  showed  them  how 
to  fish  for  eels.  He  trod  the  eels  out  of  the 
mud  and  caught  them  with  his  hands.  Gov 
ernor  Bradford  says  in  his  journal,  "  The  eels 
were  fat  and  sweet,  and  our  people  were  glad 
of  them/7 

Shortly  afterwards  Squanto  came  to  live 
with  the  Pilgrims.  It  would  be  a  long  story  to 
tell  you  all  this  Indian  did  for  his  half-starved 
friends. 

When  the  Pilgrims  made  their  first  trip 
along  the  shore  of  Cape  Cod  they  found 
several  basketfuls  of  corn,  which  the  Indians 

14 


SQUANTO   NOW  TAUGHT   THEM    HOW   TO   GET   THE  OLD 

INDIAN   CORNFIELD   READY   FOR  A   NEW   CROP. 

Page  15- 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

had  buried  in  the  sand.  They  saved  enough 
of  this  to  plant  in  the  spring.  Squanto  now 
taught  them  how  to  get  the  old  Indian  corn 
field  ready  for  a  new  crop.  He  showed  them 
how  to  catch  the  little  fish  called  alewives, 
and  put  two  or  three  into  every  hill  of  corn 
to  make  the  corn  grow  better.  He  also  showed 
his  friends  how  to  watch  the  cornfields  to 
prevent  the  wolves  from  digging  up  the  fish. 

It  has  been  said  that  without  the  seed  corn 
and  the  help  of  Squanto  the  whole  Plymouth 
settlement  would  have  starved  to  death 
before  the  end  of  the  first  year.  The  Pilgrims 
had  left  their  old  home  in  England  without 
hooks  and  lines  for  fishing.  Here  again 
Squanto  was  able  to  lend  a  hand,  and  taught 
his  friends  how  to  catch  fish  and  lobsters 
after  the  Indian  fashion. 

Squanto  now  began  to  serve  the  settlers  in 
another  way.  The  chief  of  the  Indians  in  the 
Plymouth  region  was  Massasoit.  He  had 
been  told  wonderful  things  about  the  white- 
faced  strangers,  and  wished  to  visit  them- 

15 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

One  day  he  came  with  some  of  his  warriors 
to  the  top  of  the  hill  to  make  a  friendly  visit, 
and  Squanto  was  sent  out  to  talk  with  him. 
Shortly  afterward  Massasoit  and  twenty  red 
skins  came  tramping  into  the  settlement, 
leaving  their  bows  and  arrows  behind  them. 
This  Indian  chief  was  a  tall,  strong  young 
man.  He  wore  a  large  chain  of  white  bone 
beads  about  his  neck;  at  the  back  of  his  neck 
hung  a  little  bag  of  tobacco,  which  he  smoked 
and  gave  to  the  Pilgrims  to  smoke.  His 
face  was  painted  a  deep  red;  his  head  and 
face  were  so  covered  with  oil  that  he  "  looked 
greasily."  His  warriors  were  tall  and  strong, 
and  were  painted,  some  black,  some  red, 
some  yellow,  and  some  white. 

The  chief  and  his  warriors  went  marching 
slowly  along  the  narrow  street  and  into  the 
large  log  cabin.  A  great  noise  was  made  with 
a  trumpet,  and  some  of  the  men  fired  their 
muskets.  Governor  Bradford  did  the  honors. 
He  kissed  the  chief's  hand,  and  Massasoit 
kissed  the  governor,  and  then  they  sat  down 

16 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

for  a  talk.  The  Indian  chief  sat  on  a  green 
mat,  with  some  cushions  placed  round  him. 

Massasoit  was  greatly  pleased  with  his  re 
ception.  A  copper  chain  and  some  beads 
were  given  to  him.  He  said  he  would  live  in 
peace  with  his  white-faced  friends.  The  red 
skin  chief  kept  his  word.  The  treaty  was 
kept  sacred  for  more  than  fifty  years. 

Squanto  liked  to  tell  his  Indian  friends 
about  the  white-faced  settlers.  He  said  the 
Pilgrims  kept  gunpowder  in  the  cellars  of  the 
log  cabins;  in  the  same  place,  he  said,  where 
the  plague  was  kept.  If  an  Indian  did  any 
harm  to  the  strangers,  the  plague  would  be 
let  loose  to  destroy  every  redskin  along  the 
coast. 

The  Pilgrims  owed  a  good  deal  of  money  to 
their  friends  in  England;  for  they  had  been 
obliged  to  run  into  debt  to  fit  out  the  May 
flower.  After  a  while  they  coasted  along  the 
shore  to  trade  with  the  Indians  for  furs  and 
corn.  On  such  trips  Squanto  was  a  great 
help  as  pilot.  Late  one  fall,  about  two  years 

17 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

after  Squanto  came  to  live  with  the  Pilgrims, 
he  sailed  with  his  friends  outside  of  Cape  Cod 
as  far  as  the  elbow.  This  place  is  now  known 
as  Chatham.  Here  the  Indians  were  shy  of  the 
strangers,  but  Squanto  at  last  induced  them 
to  sell  eight  hogsheads  of  corn  and  beans. 

Poor  Squanto!  On  this  trip  he  was  taken 
with  a  fever  and  died  in  a  few  days.  Before  he 
died  he  gave  some  of  his  things  to  his  English 
friends  as  keepsakes.  His  last  words  were, 
"  Pray  that  the  Indian  Squanto  may  go  to 
the  white  man's  heaven." 


18 


Ill 

THE   BRAVERY   OF   HANNAH   DUSTIN 

KING  PHILIP,  the  famous  Indian  chief, 
was  killed  just  a' hundred  years  before 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.   His 
death  put  an  end  to  the  so-called  King  Philip's 
War.    The  settlers  in  New  England  now  had 
a  period  of  rest  from  the  redskins. 

Peace  did  not  last  long.  Another  war  came. 
This  was  called  King  William's  War.  It  be 
gan  in  the  year  1690,  and  lasted  seven  years. 
At  this  time  William  was  king  of  England, 
and  Louis  XIV  was  king  of  France.  Louis 
declared  war  against  William,  and  ordered  his 
people  in  Canada  to  make  war  on  the  English 
people  who  had  settled  along  the  coast  of 
New  England. 

19 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

Now  we  must  keep  in  mind  that  in  this  war, 
as  in  the  other  French  and  Indian  Wars,  the 
Indians  generally  fought  on  the  side  of  the 
French,  against  the  English.  The  savages 
came  down  from  Canada,  sometimes  on  snow- 
shoes  in  the  dead  of  winter,  and  did  all 
manner  of  cruel  deeds.  They  killed  the 
settlers,  burned  their  log  cabins,  and  carried 
off  the  women  and  children  to  Canada,  where 
they  traded  them  for  strong  drink,  muskets, 
and  gunpowder. 

The  last  years  of  King  William's  War  were 
dreadful.  We  are  told  that  twelve  hundred 
cabins  were  burned  and  that  nearly  six  hun 
dred  persons  were  killed  or  carried  away  to 
Canada  as  prisoners.  It  was  a  life  of  constant 
terror. 

There  are  many  thrilling  tales  of  those 
Indian  attacks.  Few  other  towns  suffered 
so  many  hardships  as  Haverhill,  Massachu 
setts,  now  a  large  and  prosperous  city,  but 
in  those  early  days  a  little  village  of  thirty  log 
cabins.  The  redskins  used  to  come  down  the 

20 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

Merrimac  River  in  their  canoes  and  lurk  in  the 
woods  for  weeks  to  burn  some  lonely  house  or 
scalp  the  men  at  work  in  the  fields.  They 
would  then  paddle  up  the  river  with  their 
captives  and  steal  out  of  sight  in  the  deep 
forests  of  New  Hampshire. 

One  morning  in  the  middle  of  March,  1697, 
a  settler  named  Thomas  Dustin  was  busy 
cutting  firewood  half  a  mile  or  so  from  his 
cabin  and  about  two  miles  from  Haverhill. 
His  wife,  Hannah  Dustin,  was  sick  in  bed. 

All  of  a  sudden,  with  wild  yells,  a  party  of 
twenty  Indians  rushed  out  of  the  woods  and 
started  across  the  clearing  toward  the  cabin. 

"  Indians!  Indians!  Here  they  come!  " 
shouted  Hannah,  the  oldest  daughter,  bursting 
into  the  house. 

"  Now,  Hannah,  and  you,  Elizabeth,  get  the 
little  ones  out  of  the  house  as  quick  as  you 
can  and  run  down  the  road!  "  cried  Mrs. 
Neff,  who  was  nursing  Mrs.  Dustin.  "  See 
if  you  can  reach  the  village  before  the  Indians 
get  you." 

21 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

There  was  not  a  moment  to  spare.  Down 
the  cart-road,  through  the  woods,  ran  the 
seven  Dustin  children  as  fast  as  their  legs 
could  carry  them.  Thomas,  a  stout  lad  of 
fourteen,  carried  Timothy,  only  three  years 
old,  while  little  Jonathan  and  Abigail  did  their 
best  to  keep  up  with  the  older  children. 

Mr.  Dustin,  who  was  at  work  at  the  edge 
of  the  woods,  had  seen  the  Indians  crossing  the 
clearing.  He  seized  his  musket,  jumped  on 
his  horse,  and  galloped  home. 

"  Keep  to  the  cart-road,  children!  Run  for 
your  lives!  " 

When  he  reached  the  cabin,  the  Indians 
were  already  inside.  It  seemed  to  him  there 
was  only  one  thing  to  do.  He  must  leave  his 
wife  and  try  to  save  his  children. 

In  another  moment  he  was  galloping  down 
the  road.  He  caught  up  with  the  children 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  house.  For 
a  moment  he  thought  he  would  take  up  the 
little  boy  or  the  little  girl;  but  he  made  up 
his  mind  to  try  to  save  them  all. 

22 


MR.  DUSTIN   STOPPED   HIS    HORSE  AND  FACED   THE 
SAVAGES.    Page  23. 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

"  Run,  children,  run!  HI  keep  the  Indians 
back;  run  for  the  blockhouse  on  the  hill!  " 

Half  a  dozen  Indians  had  left  the  cabin 
and  were  coming  after  them.  Mr.  Dustin 
stopped  his  horse  and  faced  the  savages.  They 
fired  at  him.  He  fired  back,  and  a  savage  fell. 
The  Indians  stopped  for  a  moment,  and  Mr. 
Dustin  turned  and  galloped  after  his  children. 
The  Indians  came  on  again  and  fired  at  him. 
He  returned  the  fire  and  again  followed  the 
children. 

After  a  time  the  savages  gave  up  the  chase 
and  ran  back  to  the  cabin.  Mr.  Dustin  and 
the  children  soon  reached  the  clearing  in 
front  of  the  blockhouse.  The  people  rushed 
out  to  their  help,  and  the  next  minute  all 
were  safe  inside. 

Poor  Mrs.  Dustin  was  having  a  hard  time  of 
it.  The  savages  dragged  the  weak  and 
trembling  woman  out  of  bed  and  gave  her  a 
few  minutes  to  dress.  They  took  from  the 
cabin  all  they  could  carry  with  them,  and 
then  set  it  on  fire.  Mrs.  Dustin,  with  Mrs. 

23 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY-BOOK 

Neff  carrying  the  baby,  together  with  about 
a  dozen  other  captives,  had  to  begin  the  long 
tramp  to  Canada.  The  party  had  gone  only 
a  little  way  when  the  baby  began  to  cry.  A 
savage  took  it  and  killed  it. 

It  was  a  long  and  weary  tramp  through  the 
deep  forests  of  New  Hampshire.  Mrs.  Dustin 
and  Mrs.  Neff  fell  to  the  lot  of  an  Indian 
called  Big  Bear,  who  lived  a  few  miles  above 
Concord,  on  an  island  in  the  Merrimac 
River.  This  island  has  ever  since  been  known 
as  Dustin's  Island.  The  Indian's  family 
consisted  of  two  warriors,  three  squaws,  and 
seven  children,  besides  a  lad  named  Samuel 
Lenardson,  captured  two  years  before. 

"  Mary/7  said  Mrs.  Dustin  one  day  to  Mrs. 
Neff,  "  the  Indians  have  told  Sam  that  we 
are  soon  to  start  for  Canada.  I  am  not  going 
to  tramp  there,  to  be  sold  like  cattle  or  to  be 
tortured.  I  have  a  plan  by  which  we  may 
escape  and  perhaps  get  home  again." 

Mrs.  Dustin  said  she  would  kill  Big  Bear 
with  a  tomahawk.  Mrs.  Neff  was  to  shoot  the 

24 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY-BOOK 

other  Indian,  while  Sam  was  to  kill  one  of  the 
squaws.  After  this  all  three  were  to  kill  the 
rest  of  the  Indians  as  best  they  could. 

Long  before  daybreak  Mrs.  Dustin  silently 
waked  Mrs.  Neff  and  the  boy.  The  Indians 
were  sound  asleep.  Still  as  mice,  these  three 
people  stole  across  the  wigwam  and  stood  over 
the  victims. 

"  Now!  "  cried  Mrs.  Dustin,  and  all  did 
their  part. 

All  three  Indians  were  killed.  Short  work 
was  made  of  seven  of  the  others.  One  Indian 
woman,  although  struck  several  times  with 
a  tomahawk,  escaped  into  the  woods.  One 
Indian  boy,  in  the  words  of  the  famous  Cotton 
Mather,  to  whom  Mrs.  Dustin  told  her  story 
five  years  after,  "  scuttled  away  from  this 
desolation  "  into  the  forest. 

Not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost.  The  two 
Indians  who  had  escaped  might  carry  the 
alarm  tc  other  redskins.  With  the  tomahawks 
they  made  holes  in  all  the  canoes  but  one. 
They  then  took  a  few  handfuls  of  dried  corn 

25 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

from  the  wigwam,  threw  some  blankets  into 
the  canoe,  and  the  next  moment  they  were 
paddling  down  the  river. 

Mrs.  Dustin  suddenly  stopped  paddling. 

"Why,  Mary!"  she  cried;  "our  people 
will  never  believe  we  killed  ten  Indians.  We 
must  go  back  and  scalp  them,  and  carry  the 
scalps  home  with  us." 

So  back  to  the  wigwam  the  women  paddled 
the  canoe.  Soon  ten  bloody  scalps,  wrapped 
in  a  piece  of  cloth,  were  laid  in  the  bottom  of 
the  canoe.  Once  more  the  two  women  were 
paddling  swiftly  down  the  Merrimac.  There 
was  danger  every  moment  from  lurking  In 
dians,  or  from  the  rapids,  swollen  by  the 
spring  floods. 

In  spite  of  perils  and  narrow  escapes,  the 
tired  and  weary  party  reached  Haverhill  in 
safety.  Great  was  the  surprise  when  they 
walked  into  the  little  village.  Their  friends 
had  given  them  up  for  dead.  Still  greater 
was  the  wonder  when  the  settlers  saw  the 
scalps.  And  we  can  well  believe  that  the 

26 


THE   AMERICAN    HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

Dustin  children  shed  tears  of  joy  when 
they  saw  their  mother  home  again  safe  and 
well. 

The  story  of  Hannah  Dustin's  exploit  went 
far  and  wide.  The  colony  paid  her  fifty  dollars 
apiece  for  the  scalps.  And  even  the  governor 
of  far-away  Maryland  sent  her  a  present, 
with  a  letter  praising  her  for  her  brave  deed. 

The  famous  tomahawk  was  lost,  but  the 
musket  is  still  to  be  seen  in  Haverhill,  while 
several  pieces  of  the  cloth  in  which  the  scalps 
were  wrapped  are  kept  as  relics  by  the  great- 
great-great-grandchildren  of  Hannah  Dustin. 


27 


IV 

A   FAMOUS  WRITING  -  DESK 

THE  War  of  the  American  Revolution 
began  in  1775.    Up  to  that  time  the 
colonies  in  this  country  were  subject 
to  England. 

In  1760,  George  the  Third,  a  young  man  of 
twenty-two,  came  to  the  English  throne.  He 
needed  money  and  listened  to  the  advice  of 
unwise  men. 

"  Tax  the  Americans/7  they  urged;  "  make 
them  pay  on  everything  they  receive  in  our 
ships;  they  are  rich  and  will  not  mind  it." 

King  George  tried  in  another  way  also  to 
force  money  out  of  the  colonists.  A  law  was 
made  that  every  piece  of  paper  on  which 
notes,  deeds,  and  such  things  were  written, 

28 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

should  have  a  stamp  on  it.  Even  the  alma 
nacs  and  the  newspapers  had  to  have  stamps 
on  them.  These  stamps  cost  from  one  cent 
to  fifty  cents  each. 

This  law  was  called  the  Stamp  Act.  It 
made  the  people  very  angry.  In  Virginia  a 
great  and  bold  patriot  named  Patrick  Henry 
told  the  people  to  use  any  paper  they  pleased, 
and  pay  no  heed  to  the  new  law.  The  people 
made  up  their  minds  not  to  submit  to  such 
taxation.  They  refused  to  buy  the  stamps 
and  burned  all  they  could  get.  On  the  day 
the  law  went  into  effect  shops  were  closed, 
church  bells  tolled,  and  flags  were  placed 
at  half-mast. 

Not  long  after  this  the  English  king  laid  a 
tax  on  glass,  paper,  tea,  and  other  things. 

The  trouble  between  the  king  and  his 
American  subjects  grew  more  and  more 
bitter. 

"  Pay  the  taxes,"  King  George  insisted, 
"  or  I  will  send  my  soldiers  and  make  you." 

Our  people  replied  that  it  was  not  the 
29 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

amount  of  the  tax  that  they  cared  for.  They 
claimed  that  King  George  had  no  right  to  tax 
them  at  all  without  their  consent;  and  they 
declared  over  and  over  that  they  would  not 
obey. 

True  to  his  word,  King  George  sent  soldiers 
to  force  the  people  to  submit.  Two  regiments 
of  redcoats  were  quartered  in  Boston. 

This  of  course  made  our  people  very  angry. 
They  hated  the  soldiers  and  called  them  bad 
names.  The  soldiers  paid  back  insult  with 
insult. 

One  day  a  number  of  angry  schoolboys 
complained  to  the  British  commander  that 
the  redcoats  had  destroyed  their  sledding  on 
Boston  Common. 

"  The  very  children  here,"  remarked  Gen 
eral  Gage  to  one  of  his  officers,  "  draw  in  a 
love  of  liberty  with  the  air  they  breathe." 

Then  a  quarrel  arose  one  evening  in  Boston 
between  the  soldiers  and  the  people.  The 
soldiers  fired  into  the  crowd,  and  five  people 
were  killed  and  seven  wounded. 

30 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

The  bells  of  the  city  were  rung,  and  the 
roar  of  angry  voices  filled  the  narrow  streets. 
Quiet  was  not  restored  until  the  troops  were 
sent  to  a  fort  in  the  harbor. 

Three  years  later  King  George  took  the 
tax  off  everything  except  tea.  He  said  he 
kept  this  to  show  the  Yankees  he  had  a 
right  to  tax  them. 

Ship  after  ship  filled  with  tea  was  sent  to 
this  country,  but  not  a  pound  of  it  was 
allowed  to  be  sold.  Hundreds  of  chests  were 
stored  in  damp  cellars  and  left  to  spoil. 
Some  of  the  ships  carried  their  cargoes  back 
to  England. 

One  winter  day  in  1773  two  ships  came  to 
Boston,  but  were  not  allowed  to  unload  their 
tea.  In  the  night  a  party  of  men  dressed  like 
Indians  rushed  on  board  the  vessel,  broke 
open  the  chests,  three  hundred  and  forty-two 
in  all,  and  threw  their  contents  into  the  sea. 

Of  course  the  king  was  very  angry.  More 
troops  were  sent  over,  and  affairs  went 
rapidly  from  bad  to  worse. 

31 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

i 

Wise  men  all  over  the  land  saw  that  war 
must  come.  Guns  and  gunpowder  were  made 
ready.  Hundreds  of  men  formed  themselves 
in  companies  to  fight  at  a  minute's  notice. 

War  broke  out  shortly  afterwards.  It 
began  with  the  Battle  of  Lexington,  April  19, 
1775.  A  few  weeks  later  a  hard-fought  battle 
took  place  on  Bunker  Hill. 

We  must  not  forget  that  during  all  this 
time  our  people  called  themselves  loyal  British 
subjects.  They  had  fought  as  Englishmen 
for  their  rights,  and  not  against  England. 

Slowly  but  surely,  however,  the  idea  of 
independence  began  to  grow.  Men  saw  that 
they  were  really  fighting  for  freedom.  Public 
meetings  were  called,  and  the  question  was 
talked  over.  Some  of  the  best  men  in  the 
colonies  were  sent  to  Philadelphia  to  attend  a 
meeting  there.  On  that  occasion  a  staunch 
patriot  from  Virginia  offered  a  resolution, 
saying,  "  These  united  colonies  are,  and  of  a 
right  ought  to  be,  a  free  and  independent 
state," 

32 


"THAT    WILL    MAKE    KING    GEORGE   GNASH    HIS    TEETH,' 
SAID    THE   GENIAL  OLD   GENTLEMAN.     Page  33. 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

Five  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  country  were 
selected  to  prepare  a  statement  for  publica 
tion.  Thomas  Jefferson  of  Virginia,  chairman 
of  this  committee,  was  chosen  to  draw  up  the 
paper.  He  was  not  a  strong  public  speaker, 
but  he  was  known  as  a  writer  of  plain  and 
simple  English. 

Now  Jefferson  had  rented  rooms  of  a 
cabinet-maker  named  Ben  Randall;  and  it 
seems  that  he  planned  a  writing-desk,  and 
had  Mr.  Randall  make  it  for  him.  It  was  a 
plain  little  affair  of  mahogany,  and  stood  only 
about  three  inches  high  from  the  table  on 
which  it  was  placed. 

Well,  this  desk  has  come  to  be  famous,  for 
on  it  Jefferson  wrote  that  wonderful  docu 
ment  known  as  the  Declaration  of  Inde 
pendence. 

When  Jefferson  had  finished  the  writing,  he 
invited  Benjamin  Franklin  to  call  at  his  room 
to  hear  what  he  had  written. 

"  That's  good  enough;  I  wish  I  had  written 
it  myself;  that  will  make  King  George  gnash 

33 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY-BOOK 

his  teeth,"  said  the  genial  old  gentleman, 
when  the  different  passages  were  read  to  him. 

There  was  a  lively  debate  when  the  Dec 
laration  was  presented  to  the  delegates  at 
Philadelphia.  With  a  few  slight  changes, 
however,  it  was  finally  adopted.  It  was 
signed  on  July  4,  1776. 

We  may  be  sure  it  was  a  time  of  deep  in 
terest  to  the  hundreds  gathered  outside  the 
Old  State  House  on  that  hot  July  afternoon. 
The  old  bell-ringer  had  been  in  the  belfry 
since  morning,  having  placed  a  boy  in  the 
hall  below  to  wait  for  the  signal. 

"  They  will  never  do  it,  they  will  never  do 
it! "  cried  the  old  bell-ringer,  impatiently 
shaking  his  head. 

Suddenly  a  shout  came  from  below.  The 
boy,  wild  with  excitement,  came  running  up 
the  belfry  stairs,  calling  out,  "  Ring!  ring!  " 

And  the  old  man  rang  the  bell  as  it  had 
never  been  rung  before. 

Riders  on  the  swiftest  horses  carried  the 
glad  news  far  and  wide.  Cannon  were  fired, 

34 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

bells  were  rung,  patriotic  music  was  played, 
flags  were  flung  to  the  breeze,  and  bonfires 
were  lighted  on  hills  and  mountains. 

Look  at  a  copy  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde 
pendence  and  see  the  big  bold  signature  of 
John  Hancock  of  Massachusetts.  * 

"  There! n  exclaimed  this  great  patriot; 
"  King  George  can  read  that  without  spec 
tacles.  " 

Stephen  Hopkins  of  Rhode  Island  was  sick 
at  this  time;  his  name  is  written  with  a 
shaky  hand. 

"  See  how  my  hand  trembles,"  he  said; 
"  but  my  heart  does  not." 

"  We  must  all  hang  together  in  this  matter/' 
were  the  words  of  John  Hancock,  when  they 
crowded  round  the  table  to  sign  their  names 
to  the  document. 

"  Surely,"  replied  the  witty  Benjamin 
Franklin;  "  we  must  indeed,  or  we  shall  all 
hang  separately." 

All  honor  to  the  fifty-six  bold  patriots  who 
signed  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  They 

35 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

staked  "  their  lives,  their  fortunes,  and  their 
sacred  honor."  They  were  chosen  men  of 
high  purpose  and  exalted  character.  They 
were  fit  to  become  the  leaders  of  the  young 
nation. 

Thomas  Jefferson's  Declaration  of  Inde 
pendence  is  now  in  Washington.  It  has 
become  worn  and  faded,  but  is  preserved  as 
a  most  sacred  document. 

As  for  the  little  mahogany  writing-desk,  it 
too  has  found  its  way  to  Washington,  to  rest 
with  other  precious  relics  of  colonial  days. 
Jefferson  gave  it,  when  an  old  man,  to  his 
granddaughter.  It  remained  in  her  family 
until  recently,  when  it  was  presented  to 
Congress  and  became  the  property  of  the 
nation. 


36 


BESSIE   FISHER   OUTWITS   THE   TORIES 

DURING  the  time  of  our  Revolution 
the  country  north  of  New  York  City 
was  wild  and  rugged.     This  region 
was  often  called  the  neutral  ground;    for  it 
was    not  within    either    the  British    or   the 
American  lines.    It  extended  for  thirty  miles 
along  the  Hudson  River,  and  took  in  nearly 
all  of  Westchester  County. 

The  reckless  and  lawless  stragglers  of  both 
armies  found  it  a  convenient  place  to  do  about 
as  they  pleased.  Houses  and  barns  were 
burned,  crops  destroyed,  and  cattle  and  horses 
stolen  to  such  an  extent  that  the  people  were 
heartily  sick  and  tired  of  war. 

These    stragglers    were    divided    into    two 
37 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

parties.  The  cowboys,  as  they  were  called, 
belonged  mostly  to  the  British  side,  and  spent 
their  time  in  stealing  cattle  and  driving  them 
to  New  York.  The  second  party  was  known 
as  the  Skinners.  They  lived  chiefly  within  the 
patriot  lines,  but  they  were  brutal  and  cruel, 
and  plundered  and  stole  everything  they 
could  lay  their  hands  on. 

This  neutral  ground,  which  was  almost 
like  a  battlefield,  was  not  a  pleasant  place 
for  a  young  couple  to  begin  housekeeping  in, 
but  just  as  the  war  broke  out  Andrew  and 
Bessie  Fisher  moved  into  their  neat  little  log 
cabin  on  one  of  the  hillsides. 

They  lived  in  peace  only  a  few  weeks. 
Andrew  enlisted  in  the  patriot  army,  and  soon 
became  one  of  Washington's  boldest  and  most 
trusted  scouts.  The  young  bride  went  to 
Washington's  camp  and  nursed  the  sick  and 
wounded  soldiers.  After  a  time,  however,  she 
went  home;  and  she  was  living  alone  at  the 
time  our  story  begins.  The  young  husband 
now  and  then  made  short  trips  to  see  his  wife; 

38 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

but  such  visits  were  full  of  risk.    The  British 
were  always  on  the  watch  to  capture  him. 

Late  one  afternoon  Andrew  came  rushing 
into  the  house. 

"  Save  me!  Save  me,  Bessie!  The  redcoats 
are  after  me,  just  round  the  bend  of  the  road. 
Hide  me,  or  they  will  catch  me." 

Bessie  quickly  pulled  up  some  of  the  rough 
boards  of  the  kitchen  floor.  There  was  a  hole 
beneath,  deep  enough  to  conceal  a  man. 

"  Jump  in  here!    Quick,  Andrew!  " 

The  young  man  crawled  in,  and  Bessie  put 
the  boards  in  place,  just  as  the  British  soldiers 
began  to  pound  on  the  door  of  the  cabin. 

"  Surrender,  you  rebel!  We  saw  you  run 
in!  "  shouted  the  officer  in  command.  "  We 
have  got  you  this  time!  ': 

Bessie's  heart  was  beating  fast,  but  she  put 
on  a  calm  face.  "  Search  the  house  all  you 
please,"  was  her  quiet  answer. 

The  troopers  rushed  in  and  examined  every 
nook  and  corner  of  the  cabin,  but  no  scout 
could  they  find. 

39 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

Before  midnight  Andrew  crawled  out  of  the 
dark  hole  under  the  kitchen  floor  and  escaped 
to  Washington's  camp. 

On  another  occasion,  not  many  months 
later,  Mrs.  Fisher  was  again  expecting  a  visit 
from  her  husband.  The  time  was  indeed 
full  of  peril,  for  the  cowboys  and  Skinners 
were  doing  wicked  things  in  the  neutral 
ground.  The  devoted  wife,  however,  was 
keeping  close  watch.  Just  at  sunset  she  looked 
out  of  her  cabin  window  to  be  sure  that  nobody 
was  in  sight. 

She  watched  a  clump  of  woods  a  little  way 
back  of  the  cabin.  Suddenly  she  saw  a  man 
running  at  full  speed  toward  her.  As  he 
dashed  along  he  looked  back,  stumbled  and 
fell,  but  in  a  flash  was  up  and  running  again, 
as  if  for  life. 

"  It  must  be  Andrew.  The  Tories  are  after 
him  again.  Oh  dear!  what  shall  we  do?  ' 

The  scout  was  soon  inside  the  house. 

"  The  Tories!  They  are  coming!  Hide  me 
quick,  somewhere,  anywhere!  " 

40 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

"  Oh,  what  shall  I  do?  "  thought  the  good 
wife.  "  They  will  surely  capture  him  this 
time.  Oh,  what  shall  I  do?  " 

She  glanced  into  the  yard.  Near  the  kitchen 
door  she  saw  her  hens  scratching  in  the  ash 
heap.  She  seized  a  feather  brush  that  was 
hanging  beside  the  fireplace.  She  pulled  out 
several  quills,  and  with  a  knitting-needle 
pushed  the  pith  out.  Then  she  joined  the 
quills  together,  making  a  tube  of  them. 

"  Quick,  Andrew!  There  is  not  a  minute 
to  spare." 

She  ran  into  the  yard  with  a  shovel  and 
began  digging  in  the  side  of  the  ash  heap. 

"  Quick!  "  and  she  gave  the  quill  tube  to  her 
husband.  "  Hold  this  in  your  mouth  and  get 
into  this  hole;  I  will  cover  you  up.  Keep  your 
eyes  and  mouth  shut." 

The  scout  lay  down  in  the  hole.  Quick  as 
a  wink  his  wife  covered  him  with  ashes, 
leaving  the  end  of  the  tube  free,  so  that  he 
could  breathe. 

She  then  hurried  back  into  the  house  and 
41 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

stood  ready  to  greet  her  visitors  when  they 
came  riding  up  to  the  door. 

"  Who  are  you,  and  what  do  you  want?  " 
she  asked. 

"  Let  us  have  that  young  Andrew  Fisher/' 
replied  the  captain  of  the  Tory  party. 

"  Come  in  and  find  him,  if  you  think  he  is 
here/' 

"  Come  on,  boys!  "  and  the  captain  led  the 
way.  "  Last  year  this  woman  hid  her  husband 
under  the  kitchen  floor.  Perhaps  he  is  hid 
there  now." 

Twenty  or  more  of  the  Tory  band  searched 
the  cabin.  They  took  up  the  kitchen  floor; 
they  tore  open  the  feather  beds;  they  kicked 
over  tables  and  chairs;  they  went  up  the  lad 
der  and  examined  the  loft.  But  no  Andrew 
Fisher  was  to  be  found. 

"  Go  out  and  search  the  barn,"  ordered  the 
captain,  walking  toward  the  ash  heap. 

And  now  poor  Bessie  was  almost  ready  to 
faint  with  fear.  But  the  officer  soon  left  the 
spot  and  followed  his  men  to  the  barn. 

42 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

At  last,  after  ransacking  the  premises,  the 
Tories  gave  up  the  search. 

"If  we  ever  catch  that  rebel  husband  of 
yours,  we  will  hang  him  to  the  nearest  tree!  " 
shouted  the  angry  captain,  as  he  and  his  gang 
rode  off  down  the  valley. 

It  was  a  strange-looking  man  that  crawled 
out  of  the  ash  heap  a  few  minutes  after  the 
Tories  rode  away.  Covered  from  head  to 
foot  with  ashes,  almost  choked  for  want  of 
air,  and  his  eyes  rilled  with  dust,  the  poor 
scout  looked  sorry  enough.  But  soap  and 
water  soon  made  a  new  man  of  him. 

"  What  were  you  thinking  of  when  you  were 
under  the  ashes?  "  asked  Bessie,  with  a  hearty 
laugh. 

"  I  thought  of  what  our  good  preacher  says 
sometimes,  '  Ashes  to  ashes.' ' 

"  True  enough/'  added  Bessie;  "  but  out 
of  the  ashes  you  came  to  life  again.  Perhaps 
it  will  be  so  with  our  poor  country." 


43 


VI 

TEMPY   WICKS   HIDES   HER   HORSE 

THE  War  of  the  Revolution  had  been 
going  on  for  two  years.    Washington 
and   his   army  were   in   camp   near 
Morristown,  New  Jersey,  not  far  from  New 
York  City.     The  British  army  was  in  camp 
near  by. 

A  little  distance  away  was  an  estate  known 
as  the  Wicks  farm.  On  it  lived  its  owner,  Mr. 
Wicks,  with  an  only  daughter,  a  young  girl 
named  Temperance.  She  was  called  Tempy 
for  short.  She  owned  a  fine  horse  named 
Flora. 

Now  that  there  was  war  in  the  land,  strag 
glers  from  both  armies  were  making  no  end  of 
trouble.  Still,  the  young  girl  rode  here  and 

44 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

there  and  everywhere,  without  fear,  just  as 
she  had  done  in  times  of  peace. 

"  Washington's  soldiers  will  do  me  no 
harm/'  thought  Tempy;  "  and  I  am  sure 
my  Flora  can  run  faster  than  any  horse  the 
redcoats  have.  Let  them  catch  me  if  they 
can." 

It  was  a  lovely  afternoon  in  June,  and 
Tempy  was  returning  home  through  the 
woods  after  a  long  ride.  She  was  within  a 
mile  or  so  of  the  farm.  All  of  a  sudden  from 
a  clump  of  bushes  beside  the  road  stepped 
out  a  dozen  British  soldiers. 

"  Halt,  young  woman!  "  cried  the  sergeant. 

She  looked  round  in  surprise.  There  were 
the  redcoats  drawn  up  in  line,  aiming  their 
guns  at  her.  The  girl  spoke  to  her  horse, 
and  the  faithful  animal  stopped.  Up  rushed 
the  soldiers  and  seized  the  bridle. 

"  What  do  you  want  of  me?  "  asked  Tempy; 
"  this  horse  is  mine,  and  I  am  on  my  way 
home;  you  have  no  right  to  stop  me." 

"  Never  mind,  miss;  this  is  a  fine  horse  of 
45 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

yours;  "  and  the  sergeant  took  a  good  look 
at  Flora. 

"  She  certainly  is,  but  she  belongs  to  me, 
and  I  must  ride  home  at  once;  so  let  me 
go." 

"  Not  so  fast,  young  lady,"  continued  the 
officer.  "  This  is  just  the  horse  my  captain 
wants;  his  own  horse  died  last  week." 

"  I  don't  care  anything  about  your  captain 
and  what  he  wants,"  cried  Tempy,  getting  a 
little  angry.  "  Go  about  your  business  and 
let  me  get  home." 

"  I  have  orders  to  take  horses  wherever  I 
find  them,"  was  the  calm  reply  of  the  officer; 
"  so,  young  miss,  jump  down!  " 

The  girl  saw  that  the  redcoats  were  in  ear 
nest  and  were  bound  to  rob  her  of  her  horse. 
She  was  keen-witted  and  quickly  made  up  her 
mind  what  to  do.  She  pretended  to  be  get 
ting  ready  to  dismount.  The  redcoat  who 
held  the  bridle  let  go  of  it,  and  turned  aside 
for  a  moment  to  speak  to  a  comrade.  Quick 
as  a  flash  the  girl  gave  the  spirited  horse  a 

46 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

cut  with  her  whip,  dashed  between  two  of  the 
soldiers,  and  was  gone. 

"  Fire,  men,  fire!  "  shouted  the  sergeant. 

Bang!     Bang!     Bang! 

The  soldiers  had  fired  their  guns  into  the 
air,  thinking  to  make  the  girl  stop. 

It  was  too  late.  Tempy  was  far  down  the 
road,  riding  as  fast  as  the  swift  horse  could 
carry  her. 

The  redcoats  did  not  give  up  the  chase. 
Some  of  them  knew  where  the  girl  lived.  They 
ran  through  the  woods,  hoping  to  reach  the 
Wicks  farm  first. 

"  What  shall  I  do  with  Flora  when  I  get 
her  home?  "  and  Tempy  wrinkled  her  pretty 
brow;  "  there  are  no  men  to  help  me,  and 
these  redcoats  will  be  sure  to  go  to  the  barn 
and  carry  her  off.  What  shall  I  do?  " 

She  could  ride  over  to  one  of  the  neighbors, 
but  sooner  or  later  she  would  have  to  come 
back.  The  redcoats  would  watch  for  her, 
even  if  it  took  a  week.  If  she  tied  her  horse 
to  a  tree  in  the  woods  and  came  back  on  foot, 

47 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

the  soldiers  would  soon  find  the  animal's 
hiding-place. 

Tempy  did  some  lively  thinking  while  she 
was  riding  home.  An  idea  came  to  her  just 
as  she  was  within  sight  of  the  house.  She 
looked  down  the  road.  The  redcoats  were  not 
in  sight. 

Not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost.  She  dashed 
through  the  front  gate  of  the  large  yard 
and  jumped  from  her  horse  at  the  back  door. 
Opening  the  door,  she  led  the  gentle  animal 
through  the  kitchen  into  the  front  hall,  and 
then  into  the  parlor. 

Now  off  the  parlor  was  a  bedroom,  which 
was  a  guest  chamber.  There  was  only  one 
window,  arid  the  shutters  were  closed  when 
the  room  was  not  in  use.  Into  this  dark 
room  Tempy  quickly  led  her  horse,  and  tied 
her  to  the  bedpost. 

Hardly  had  the  young  girl  made  everything 
snug  when  the  angry  soldiers  came  tramping 
into  the  yard.  They  searched  the  big  barn, 
the  carriage  house,  and  the  woodshed.  At 

48 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

last  they  came  into  the  house  and  looked  high 
and  low,  but  they  did  not  find  the  horse. 

'  Where  did  you  hide  that  horse,  young 
girl?  "  growled  the  sergeant.  "  Tell  us,  or 
there  will  be  trouble.77 

"  Very  well/7  smiled  Tempy;  "  but  if  you 
get  my  horse,  you  will  have  to  find  her  first." 

Angry  words  were  of  no  use;  and  at  last 
the  redcoats  gave  up  the  search  and  rode  back 
to  their  camp.  Flora  was  quietly  eating  her 
oats  in  the  best  bedroom.  The  noise  of  her 
feet  had  been  muffled  with  a  litter  of  hay. 

As  the  story  goes,  Tempy  kept  her  horse  in 
the  bedroom  for  three  weeks.  Shortly  after 
ward  the  British  troops  broke  up  their  camp 
in  New  Jersey  and  went  back  to  New  York. 
Not  one  of  them,  however,  rode  on  Tempy's 
horse.  When  the  redcoats  had  gone,  Flora 
came  out  of  the  guest  chamber  and  went 
back  to  her  stall  in  the  big  barn. 


49 


VII 

PEGGY  MILLER   GOES  MARKETING 

"  T  IT  TELL,  Peggy,  my  girl,  I  have  told 

\  \     y°u  exactly  what  to  say  and  what 

to  do;   and  now  if  you  are  really 

afraid,  you  need  not  go.     The  trip  is  full  of 

danger,  and  you  are  pretty  young  to  be  sent 

on  such  an  errand. " 

"  Perhaps  I  am  a  bit  afraid,  Major  Tal- 
madge,"  quietly  answered  Peggy  Miller,  a 
young  girl  of  sixteen.  "  But  never  mind  that; 
I  am  ready  to  go  and  I'll  do  my  best." 

For  several  months  there  had  been  sharp 
fighting  around  Philadelphia.  The  patriot 
army  had  the  worst  of  it.  General  Washing 
ton  and  his  ragged,  half-starved  men  were  in 
camp  a  few  miles  outside  of  Philadelphia, 

50 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

while  the  British  were  living  in  the  city  itself, 
in  ease  and  comfort. 

Major  Talmadge  was  in  command  of  patriot 
cavalry  that  rode  to  and  fro  between  the  out 
posts  of  the  two  armies.  His  duty  was  to  find 
out  what  he  could  about  the  British  and  send 
the  news  to  headquarters. 

This  patriot  officer  had  sent  some  of  his 
youngest  men,  dressed  as  country  lads,  into 
the  city  with  garden  stuff  to  sell.  The  young 
men  went  to  certain  houses  and  brought  back 
important  information  and  letters,  which 
were  sent  at  once  to  General  Washington  at 
Valley  Forge.  But  Major  Talmadge  had  been 
warned  that  his  messengers  were  suspected 
by  the  British,  and  that  it  would  be  no  longer 
safe  to  send  them  again  on  such  dangerous 
errands. 

At  the  time  of  our  story,  which  was  in  the 
winter  of  1777,  it  was  certain  that  the  British 
were  getting  ready  to  make  an  important 
move.  General  Washington  must  learn  their 
purpose,  and  learn  it  at  once. 

51 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

Major  Talmadge  and  a  few  of  his  bold 
riders  were  staying  at  a  small  tavern  a  few 
miles  from  Philadelphia.  The  tavern  was  kept 
by  a  Mrs.  Miller,  whose  husband  and  son 
were  at  Valley  Forge  with  Washington.  Her 
only  daughter,  Peggy,  helped  about  the  inn. 

"  Your  daughter  is  just  the  one  to  go  into 
the  city  and  bring  back  the  news  I  must 
have,"  said  Major  Talmadge  to  Mrs.  Miller 
on  this  winter  morning. 

"  Peggy  is  willing  to  help,  Major,  but  she  is 
too  young  to  go  on  such  an  errand." 

In  came  the  girl  herself. 

"  Let  me  try,  mother,"  she  urged;  "  I 
am  not  afraid  of  the  redcoats;  I  cannot  be 
idle  while  father  and  brother  Ben  are  freezing 
and  starving  at  Valley  Forge." 

And  so  it  came  about  that  the  young  girl, 
carrying  a  basket  of  eggs  on  her  arm,  set  out 
for  Philadelphia  early  the  next  morning.  The 
country  roads  were  bad,  and  the  day  was  cold. 
These  things  did  not  trouble  her,  for  she  was 
thinking  more  of  the  peril  before  her. 

52 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

Nobody  paid  any  heed  to  her  until  she  was 
near  the  city. 

"  Here,  my  girl!  Stop  and  tell  us  what  you 
have  to  sell/'  cried  one  of  a  half  dozen  British 
soldiers  standing  near  the  roadside. 

Peggy's  heart  began  to  thump,  and  she 
wished  she  were  at  home  with  her  mother. 

"  Only  a  few  fresh  eggs/'  she  replied,  turning 
pale. 

"  Good!  I  will  take  all  you  have;  our  mess 
is  sadly  in  need  of  fresh  eggs." 

"  No,  indeed,  sir,  I  cannot  let  you  have  all, 
for  most  of  them  are  promised  to  Mistress 
Morgan  on  Chestnut  Street." 

"  Aha!  that's  the  house  where  all  you  coun 
try  people  sell  your  stuff.  Something  is  wrong 
about  that  house." 

Peggy  set  her  basket  down  on  the  ground. 

"  I  can  sell  you  two  dozen;  "  and  she  began 
to  count  out  the  eggs. 

"  Nay,  nay,  my  girl;  we  don't  want  your 
eggs;  I  was  only  in  fun.  Some  of  you  people 
are  bringing  in  strange  things  for  sale.  Go 

53 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

and  sell  your  eggs;  I  think  you  are  an  honest 

girl." 

Peggy  picked  up  her  basket  and  walked  on. 
Once  she  looked  back  and  saw  the  soldiers 
watching  her.  They  seemed  to  be  talking 
about  her.  She  hurried  along  until  she 
reached  the  street  where  Mrs.  Morgan  lived. 
She  ran  up  the  steps  of  the  mansion  and 
lifted  the  huge  knocker.  A  redcoat  stand 
ing  at  the  street  corner  watched  her  as  she 
stood  at  the  door.  Presently  a  maid  ap 
peared. 

"  I  must  see  Mistress  Morgan;  I  have  some 
eggs  to  sell;  I  hope  she  will  buy  some." 
"  Come  in  and  I  will  call  the  mistress." 
In  a  few  minutes  Mrs.  Morgan,  a  stately 
and  prim  Quaker  lady,  entered. 

"  What  can  I  do  for  thee,  my  girl?  "  she 
asked  kindly. 

"  I  have  some  fresh  eggs  to  sell." 
"  Is  thee  sure  they  are  fresh?  ': 
"  Yes,  madam,  they  are  fresh  eggs." 
Mrs.  Morgan  gave  her  a  quick,  sharp  look, 
54 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

"  You  have  brought  your  eggs  to  the  right 
market." 

The  lady  took  the  basket  and  carried  it  to 
the  kitchen.  When  she  returned,  the  basket 
had  a  loaf  of  bread  in  it.  Not  a  word  was  said, 
but  Peggy  had  been  told  that  a  letter  to  Gen 
eral  Washington  would  be  hidden  in  the  loaf 
of  bread. 

"  If  thee  must  destroy  the  bread/'  said  Mrs. 
Morgan,  pointing  to  the  basket,  "  simply 
repeat  these  two  words  to  Major  Talmadge, 
'  Not  yet/  Does  thee  catch  my  meaning?  r> 

"  Certainly,  madam/7  and  Peggy  made  a 
low  bow. 

She  took  her  basket  and  made  ready  to 
leave  the  house.  She  looked  sharply  about 
as  she  walked  slowly  down  the  front  steps. 
Nobody  was  to  be  seen.  Even  the  redcoat 
was  not  in  sight. 

The  young  girl  hurried  along  untii  she 
reached  the  outskirts  of  the  city.  There  she 
found  the  soldiers  whom  she  had  met  be 
fore. 

55 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

"  Come  here,  my  girl,  and  tell  us  about  it," 
one  of  them  called  out. 

"  I  have  sold  my  eggs,"  was  her  simple 
answer. 

"  What  have  you  in  your  basket  now,  my 
girl?  What's  this?  As  sure  as  I  live,  it's  a 
loaf  of  bread.  It  looks  good  enough  to  eat;  " 
and  the  redcoat  roughly  grasped  the  basket 
and  pulled  out  the  loaf. 

"  No,  indeed!  Please! ';  begged  Peggy; 
"  it  is  for  my  little  sister,  who  is  sick.  Please 
give  it  back  to  me." 

"  Let  the  girl  alone,  Jack,"  broke  in  another 
of  the  redcoats.  "  Give  her  back  the  bread; 
we  are  not  hungry  enough  to  rob  her." 

With  a  laugh  the  man  put  the  loaf  back  and 
gave  her  the  basket  again. 

"  Run  home,  girl,  and  don't  let  us  catch  you 
another  time.  The  next  time  we  will  arrest 
you  and  send  you  to  General  Howe.  Hurry 
now  and  get  out  of  our  sight." 

Peggy  did  not  need  to  be  told  to  hurry. 
Without  looking  behind  her  she  walked  rapidly 

56 


IT   WAS   A    MAD    RACE   FOR  AN    HOUR.    Page  57. 


^/:>:«";**H    i  -\  " 
*'  4«  •»•**•««     •  i».4l  t  •"    ,- 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

away.  Pretty  soon  she  broke  into  a  run.  Out 
of  breath  and  very  tired,  the  young  girl  was 
at  last  safe  and  sound  at  home  again. 

"  You  have  done  well,  my  girl/'  were  the 
words  of  praise  of  Major  Talmadge,  when  he 
broke  open  the  bread  and  found  the  note 
inside.  "  General  Washington  shall  read  this 
before  sunset,  and  you  shall  not  be  forgotten. " 

Mrs.  Miller  burst  into  the  room. 

"  Ride  for  your  life,  Major!  The  British 
are  coming  down  the  long  hill.  They  will  be 
here  in  a  few  minutes." 

The  major  turned  hurriedly  to  Peggy: 
"  The  redcoats  are  after  us,  Peggy;  they 
suspect  your  errand.  You  must  go  with 


me." 


Major  Talmadge  sprang  on  his  horse  and 
took  the  girl  up  behind  him.  The  next 
moment  they  were  galloping  down  the  road. 

It  was  a  mad  race  for  an  hour.  Down  the 
hills,  through  the  woods,  across  the  rude 
bridges,  the  sturdy  horse,  covered  with  foam, 
carried  the  two  safe  into  Germantown.  Not 

57 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

until  the  village  was  reached  did  the  redcoats 
give  up  the  chase. 

The  major  helped  the  tired  girl  to  the 
ground. 

"  Well,  Peggy,  it  was  a  pity  to  lose  that  loaf 
of  bread,  when  so  many  of  our  men  sadly  need 
it.  Still,  General  Washington  needs  that 
letter  far  more  than  all  the  bread  in  the 
whole  Quaker  city." 

A  proud  and  happy  girl  was  Peggy  Miller 
the  next  morning  when  a  company  of  troopers 
escorted  her  back  to  her  home  at  the  old 
inn.  General  Washington  wrote  her  a  little 
note,  to  thank  her  and  tell  her  that  her  wit 
and  coolness  had  saved  him  and  the  army 
from  what  might  have  been  a  sad  mistake. 


58 


VIII 

PAUL  RUSSELL'S  BACON  is  SAVED 

PAUL  RUSSELL,  a  sturdy  young  patriot 
of  South  Carolina,  was  not  happy.    He 
was    standing    on    the    piazza    of   his 
father's   house   and   gazing   over   the   broad 
fields  of  the  plantation.    This  was  in  the  year 
1780.    Of  all  the  dark  years  of  the  Revolution 
this  was  one  of  the  darkest.     One  disaster 
quickly  followed  another. 

Paul  was  a  boy  of  sixteen.  He  and  his 
father,  Major  John  Russell,  were  in  General 
Sumter's  army,  but  had  gone  home  for  a 
brief  visit. 

The  Tories  found  it  out,  and  one  dark  night 
they  swooped  down  on  the  plantation  and 
captured  both  father  and  son.  Paul  was  left 

59 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

at  home  on  parole,  but  his  father  was  sent  at 
once  on  his  way  to  the  prison  at  Charleston. 

The  boy  was  quick-witted  enough  to  send  a 
negro  to  a  company  of  patriots  close  by  and 
tell  them  of  his  father's  capture.  The  pa 
triots  attacked  the  British  escort  halfway  to 
Charleston  and  routed  them;  Major  Rus 
sell  escaped  and  went  on  duty  again  with 
General  Sumter. 

At  this  time  the  British  soldiers  were 
scattered  far  and  wide  over  South  Carolina. 
They  were  quartered  in  small  companies  on 
the  plantations.  Captain  Heald,  one  of 
Tarleton's  officers,  and  fifty  of  his  men  were 
making  themselves  at  home  on  the  Russell 
plantation. 

While  Paul  walked  to  and  fro  along  the 
broad  piazza,  idly  watching  the  soldiers,  he 
could  see  the  British  sentries  on  guard,  march 
ing  up  and  down  the  turnpike.  It  made  him 
angry  to  think  how  the  redcoats  had  killed 
almost  all  the  live  stock  on  the  place,  to  pro 
vide  themselves  with  fresh  meat.  He  was 

60 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

also  thinking  how  insolent  the  soldiers  had 
been  in  dealing  with  his  family. 

The  more  the  young  fellow  thought  about 
it,  the  more  angry  and  the  more  helpless  he 
felt.  Still,  it  was  some  comfort  to  know  that 
the  surly  and  brutal  Captain  Heald  had  left 
that  morning  for  another  command.  Lieu 
tenant  Mott,  the  next  in  rank,  and  a  much 
Better  man,  was  left  in  charge. 

"  Shut  up  here  like  a  rat  in  a  hole!  "  growled 
Paul.  "  I  wish  I  were  with  father.  I  wish 
something  would  happen,  so  that  I  could  go 
back  to  the  army.  I  had  rather  ride  hard  all 
day  long  and  waylay  the  British  at  night  than 
be  cooped  up  here  like  a  rat  in  a  trap." 

Well,  something  did  happen  to  keep  Paul's 
mind  busy  the  rest  of  the  day.  A  servant 
came  and  said  his  mother  wished  to  speak 
with  him  at  once.  He  ran  up  the  broad  stairs 
and  found  his  mother  in  the  doorway  of  his 
room,  with  tears  running  down  her  cheeks. 

"  Come  in;  I  have  something  to  show  you/' 
she  whispered,  as  she  closed  and  locked  the 

61 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

door.  "  I  found  this  on  the  table  after 
Lieutenant  Mott  was  through  eating  this 
morning. " 

Paul  seized  the  letter  from  the  trembling 
hand  of  his  mother  and  read  as  follows: 

"  August  10,  1780. 

"LIEUTENANT  MOTT:  —  Paul  Russell  has 
broken  his  parole.  He  cannot  have  either  a 
hearing  or  a  trial.  Upon  receipt  of  this  you 
are  ordered  to  hang  this  young  rebel.  Hang 
him  before  sunset  to-night.  Send  me  word 
to-morrow  morning. 

"  HEALD." 

"  That  is  an  awful  lie!  I  haven't  broken 
my  parole!  It  is  murder  if  they  hang  me!  " 
Paul  burst  out,  his  face  deadly  pale,  and  then 
red  with  anger. 

"  Be  calm,  my  boy.  Listen  to  me.  I  think 
Lieutenant  Mott  dropped  that  letter  to  help 
you.  He  is  not  a  bad  man  like  Captain 

Heald." 

62 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

"  Never  you  mind,  mother  dear,  I  shall  not 
hang  this  time,  you  may  be  sure  of  that. 
Don't  give  up.  I  will  get  out  of  this  place 
somehow." 

It  was  a  long  forenoon  for  the  boy.  He 
walked  up  and  down  the  piazza  and  across  the 
lawn,  and  went  and  chatted  with  the  redcoats. 
But  those  awful  words,  "  Hang  him  before 
sunset  to-night/7  seemed  to  be  written  in  big 
letters  across  the  sky.  The  birds  seemed  to 
mock  him  with  them,  and  even  the  guards 
appeared  to  mutter  them  as  they  marched 
to  and  fro  with  their  guns  over  their  shoul 
ders. 

The  boy  could  eat  little  dinner.  It  seemed 
as  if  the  food  would  choke  him.  He  almost 
broke  down  when  he  saw  the  haggard  face  of 
his  mother. 

His  mother  was  almost  frantic. 

"  Oh,  what  wiU  you  do,  Paul?  I  can't  let 
them  hang  you!  " 

"  Keep  up  your  courage,  mother.  They  will 
have  to  shoot  me  first.  I  shall  not  be  hanged/' 

63 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

and  he  kissed  his  mother  and  ran  out  on  the 
lawn  and  sat  down  under  a  tree. 

"  This  will  never  do!  I  must  think  of  some 
thing.  They  may  come  for  me  at  any  minute." 

He  walked  slowly  down  the  road  toward  a 
large  grove,  where  a  big,  good-natured  fellow 
by  the  name  of  Tom  happened  to  be  on  guard. 

"  It's  a  hot  day,"  he  suggested,  when  he 
came  near  the  sentinel,  who  was  lazily  tramp 
ing  along  the  dusty  road. 

"To  be  sure!  And  I  guess  you  would  think 
so  if  you  had  to  carry  a  gun  along  this  road 
for  three  hours." 

"  Why  not  rest  a  bit,  Tom?  Let  me  have 
your  gun,  and  I  will  take  your  place." 

"  No,  my  boy,  that  will  never  do.  Still,  I 
am  much  obliged  to  you  just  the  same." 

Tom  tramped  along  the  road,  while  Paul 
sat  down  to  think.  He  watched  the  soldiers 
laughing  and  talking  in  their  tents.  One  word 
of  alarm,  and  they  would  be  shooting  at  him. 

Just  then  a  little  half-starved  pig  came  out 
of  the  woods.  He  was  perhaps  the  last  of  the 

64 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

drove.  He  looked  at  Paul  for  a  moment  with 
out  moving;  but  when  he  saw  the  sentry,  he 
turned  about,  gave  a  frightened  grunt,  and 
darted  up  the  road  as  if  Colonel  Tarleton 
himself  were  after  him. 

"  Here,  Paul!  Help  me  catch  that  crazy 
pig!  "  shouted  Tom.  "  Hurry,  and  we  shall 
catch  him." 

Paul  did  not  need  to  be  asked  twice.  In 
another  moment  he  and  the  sentry  were  after 
the  little  pig  as  fast  as  they  could  go. 

The  redcoats  were  out  of  their  tents  in  a 
moment,  shouting  and  laughing  as  if  it  were 
the  best  fun  in  the  world. 

Off  came  Paul's  hat  and  coat.  For  him  it 
was  a  race  for  life,  and  he  knew  it.  Once  he 
nearly  overtook  the  pig,  but  took  care  not  to 
catch  him.  The  frightened  animal  squealed 
and  ran  all  the  faster. 

Tom  meanwhile  had  stopped. 

"  Hey,  there,  boy!  "  he  shouted.  "  Come 
back!  We  can't  catch  him." 

Paul  gave  a  quick  glance  behind  him  and 
65 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

saw  that  he  was  out  of  range  of  the  soldiers. 
The  only  danger  now  was  from  Tom's  musket. 

"  Come  back,  Paul!  Come  back,  or  I  will 
shoot!" 

Paul  did  not  stop. 

Bang!  went  the  gun,  but  the  bullet  whistled 
over  his  head. 

"  Now  if  I  can  only  reach  the  swamp,  I  am 
safe;  "  and  he  ran  faster  than  before. 

He  soon  reached  the  grove,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  was  safe  in  the  swamp  beyond. 

Before  daylight  the  next  morning  he  was 
telling  his  astonished  father  the  story  of  his 
narrow  escape. 

"  It  was  clever  work,  my  dear  boy;  but 
don't  let  the  Tories  get  you  again.  I  wonder 
if  they  caught  our  little  pig." 

"  I  don't  know,  father,"  laughed  Paul,  "  but 
the  little  porker  did  double  duty;  he  saved  his 
bacon,  and  he  saved  mine  too." 


66 


IX 

FIGHTING   THE   BRITISH   WITH   BEES 

ON  the  southern  edge  of  North  Carolina 
stands  the  little  city  of  Charlotte. 
The  people  of  this  section  were  full  of 
the  love  of  liberty.  In  less  than  one  month 
after  the  Battle  of  Lexington  they  began  to 
talk  in  favor  of  declaring  independence  from 
England.  Five  years  afterwards,  when  Lord 
Cornwallis,  the  commander-in-chief  of  the 
British  during  the  Revolution,  came  to  Char 
lotte  with  his  army,  he  found  the  people  so 
eager  to  fight  for  their  freedom,  that  he 
always  called  this  little  town  the  hornets' 
nest  of  the  rebellion. 

Early  in  the  fall  of  1780  these  hornets  were 
buzzing.     The  patriots  had  been  defeated  in 

67 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

South  Carolina,  in  the  Battle  of  Camden. 
Lord  Cornwallis  now  felt  sure  of  success  in 
North  Carolina,  and  was  marching  toward  the 
Old  North  State,  with  the  intention  of  making 
his  first  stop  at  Charlotte. 

The  British  soldiers  robbed  the  patriots 
of  their  sheep  and  cattle,  burned  their  houses 
and  their  crops,  stole  their  horses,  and  drove 
their  women  and  children  into  the  woods. 

"  I  will  protect  your  property  and  pay  you 
for  everything  my  army  needs/ '  declared 
Lord  Cornwallis,  "  but  you  must  take  the 
oath  of  allegiance  to  King  George. " 

"  Never!  "  was  the  determined  answer  of 
the  bold  North  Carolina  patriots.  "  We  have 
pledged  our  lives,  our  fortunes,  and  our  honor 
to  the  cause  of  freedom,  and  we  will  not  break 
our  oaths.  We  will  fight  you  to  the  bitter 
end." 

And  fight  they  did,  men,  women,  and 
children,  and  with  a  will.  They  made  things 
so  lively  for  the  redcoats  that  they  dreaded 
to  be  sent  into  the  country  for  supplies.  No 

68 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

matter  if  a  whole  regiment  went  out,  it  was 
certain  to  lose  some  of  its  men  before  it  got 
back  to  Charlotte.  From  behind  trees,  bushes, 
barns,  and  fences  the  deadly  fire  of  the  patriots 
thinned  the  ranks  of  the  hated  British. 

One  morning,  while  Cornwallis  and  his  army 
were  at  Charlotte,  a  boy  named  John  Clarke 
was  at  wT>rk  in  a  field  on  his  father's  farm, 
about  seven  miles  from  town.  The  boy's 
father  and  brother  were  in  the  patriot  army. 
John  was  left  at  home  to  take  care  of  his 
mother  and  sisters. 

He  suddenly  heard  a  great  clatter  down  the 
road.  He  looked  up  and  saw  British  soldiers 
coming  into  sight,  round  the  bend  in  the  road. 
He  ran  into  the  house  with  a  shout> 

"  The  redcoats  are  here.  The  whole  army 
is  coming  up  the  road!  r> 

In  a  few  moments  the  British  were  riding 
up  the  lane. 

Now  John  Clarke's  mother  had  already  had 
experience  with  British  officers  and  knew  what 
they  were.  She  sent  the  girls  upstairs  and 

69 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

seated  herself  on  the  piazza  with  John,  to 
await  the  coming  of  the  soldiers. 

The  leader  of  the  redcoats  halted  his  men 
near  the  house,  leaped  from  his  horse,  and 
came  up  to  the  piazza. 

"  We  are  in  need  of  supplies,  and  must 
search  this  place." 

"  As  you  please,"  replied  Mrs.  Clarke, 
quietly.  "  You  have  already  stolen  everything, 
and  you  will  find  nothing." 

The  soldiers  now  began  to  search  the  house. 
Some  went  to  the  barn.  Others  ransacked 
the  shed.  They  could  not  find  much. 

"  I  say,  boy,"  growled  the  British  leader, 
returning  to  the  piazza,  "  we  can't  find  any 
thing  here;  you  must  have  hidden  something 
somewhere." 

"  Of  course,"  grinned  John.  "  We  have 
one  poor  cow  left;  but  you  can't  get  her,  for 
she's  out  in  the  woods,  over  a  mile  away." 

The  officer  was  angry. 

"  One  cow  isn't  much,  but  it's  better  than 
nothing.  Take  one  of  the  horses  and  drive 

70 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

her  in;  and  be  quick  about  it,  you  young 
rebel!" 

John  leaped  on  one  of  the  horses,  which  had 
been  tied  to  the  rail  fence.  Some  of  the  men 
tried  to  stop  him. 

"That's  all  right!"  shouted  the  British 
captain;  "  he's  going  on  an  errand  for  me." 

Trotting  his  horse  by  a  row  of  beehives, 
John  leaned  over  and  upset  several  of  them. 
He  then  struck  his  horse  a  sharp  blow  with  a 
switch  and  away  went  horse  and  rider  out 
of  the  lane  and  into  the  road.  They  were 
soon  lost  to  sight  in  the  woods. 

The  yard  was  now  worse  than  a  hornets' 
nest.  The  angry  bees  swarmed  out  of  the 
hives  till  the  air  seemed  full  of  them.  The 
horses,  maddened  by  the  sting  of  the  bees, 
began  to  plunge  and  kick.  With  oaths  the 
redcoats  ran  here  and  there  to  escape.  It 
was  of  no  use.  The  bees  made  it  so  hot  for 
them  that  they  went  helter-skelter  down  the 
road. 

John  had  looked  back  as  he  rode  out  of  the 
71 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

lane.  It  was  a  sight  that  he  never  forgot.  As 
soon  as  he  was  in  the  shelter  of  the  woods  he 
jumped  off  the  horse  and  lay  on  the  ground 
and  laughed,  while  the  British  troopers  went 
riding  pellmell  past  him. 

The  road  was  soon  clear  of  the  redcoats,  and 
John  went  back  to  the  house  to  tell  his  mother 
and  sisters. 

"  It  was  a  funny  sight/'  he  said.  "  You 
never  saw  anything  like  it.  Some  of  those 
chaps  had  their  eyes  shut  tight.  Some  of 
their  noses  looked  like  powderhorns.  And 
they  swore  like  troopers.  I  think  I  had  better 
write  General  Washington  about  it;  it  is 
better  than  powder  and  balls." 


72 


A   TIMELY   JACK  -  O'  -  LANTERN 

THE  first  settlers  in  America  made 
their  homes  along  the  sea,  for  the 
inland  country  was  a  trackless  wilder 
ness.  From  Maine  to  Georgia  there  was  only 
a  fringe  of  villages,  scattered  here  and  there 
along  the  coast.  Shortly  after  the  Revolution, 
however,  great  numbers  of  men  and  women 
began  to  go  farther  and  farther  west.  Hun 
dreds  of  thrifty  settlers  left  their  homes 
along  the  coast,  crossed  the  mountains,  and 
built  new  homes  for  themselves  in  the  rich 
lands  that  are  now  the  states  of  Ohio,  Ken 
tucky,  and  Tennessee. 

Among   the   early   settlers    who    tramped 
across  the  mountains  and  through  the  wilder- 

73 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

ness  to  find  new  homes  on  the  frontier  was 
the  Merrill  family.  They  built  a  log  cabin 
for  themselves  on  the  banks  of  a  little  river 
in  southern  Ohio.  In  that  cabin  there  was 
only  one  room.  The  two  boys  of  the  family, 
David  and  Joseph,  slept  in  a  kind  of  loft,  on 
a  bed  of  dry  oak  leaves.  The  loft  was  reached 
by  a  ladder. 

Their  first  winter  was  bitter  cold.  The  snow 
lay  deep  and  long  upon  the  frozen  ground; 
but  there  was  plenty  of  dry,  hard  wood  to 
burn  in  the  huge  stone  fireplace.  The  oldest 
girl,  Ruth,  helped  her  mother.  The  boys  set 
traps  and  snared  rabbits,  while  their  father 
shot  wild  turkeys  and  deer.  There  were  no 
signs  of  Indians,  and  they  were  happy  and 
contented,  although  living  in  the  deep  woods, 
many  miles  from  their  old  home  in  Vir 
ginia. 

At  last  the  snow  began  to  melt,  the  birds 
began  to  sing,  and  the  trees  put  out  their 
leaves.  Soon  it  was  time  to  plant. 

One  day  David  climbed  up  into  the  loft 
74 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

to  get  a  package  of  pumpkin  seed  which  he 
had  brought  with  him  from  the  old  home. 

Not  a  seed  was  to  be  found. 

"  Oh  dear!  "  he  muttered;  "  some  of  those 
red  squirrels  have  gnawed  a  hole  through  the 
roof  and  carried  all  those  seeds  away.  No 
pumpkin  pies  this  year!  " 

His  father  tried  to  comfort  him. 

"  Never  mind,  David,  my  boy,  perhaps 
neighbor  Johnson  across  the  river  can  spare 
you  a  few  seeds.  Mother  may  be  able  after 
all  to  bake  a  few  pumpkin  pies  for  us  this 
winter/7 

A  few  days  after  this  the  two  boys  were  at 
work  in  the  clearing.  They  were  burning 
some  old  stumps,  when  out  of  one  of  them 
popped  a  red  squirrel  and  scampered  away 
into  the  woods. 

"  Look,  Dave!  "  shouted  Joseph;  "  there 
goes  a  big,  fat  red  squirrel.  Let  us  find  his 
nest;  it  must  be  in  that  stump." 

"All  right,  Joe.  Perhaps  it's  the  little 
rascal  that  stole  my  pumpkin  seeds." 

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THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

The  two  boys  began  to  dig  round  the 
stump.  They  found  some  old  rags,  bits  of 
dry  moss,  and  some  empty  shells  of  hickory 
nuts. 

"  Hurrah,  Joe!  this  must  be  the  very  chap 
that  stole  the  seeds.  We  may  find  some  the 
little  thief  hasn't  eaten  yet." 

The  boys  continued  their  search.  At  last 
amid  the  empty  shells  they  found  three  good 
pumpkin  seeds. 

"  Of  course  it's  better  than  nothing,"  said 
Joe,  glumly;  "  but  I  must  say,  Dave,  you 
have  a  pretty  poor  chance  of  raising  much 
of  a  crop." 

David  was  a  thrifty  lad.  He  saved  the 
three  seeds  and  planted  them  in  deep,  rich 
soil. 

How  like  magic  those  pumpkin  vines  grew 
that  hot,  wet  summer!  All  the  crops  did  well 
that  year,  but  such  huge  yellow  pumpkins 
have  seldom  been  seen. 

"  Dave,"  his  sister  Ruth  pleaded,  one  day 
late  in  the  autumn,  "  please  make  me  a 

76 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

jack-o'-lantern  out  of  one  of  your  pump 
kins/' 

"  Dear  me,  no,  Ruth;  I  can't  spare  one." 

But  David  liked  to  please  his  sister,  and  one 
rainy  day  he  made  a  jack-o'-lantern  out  of 
his  largest  pumpkin.  It  looked  like  a  giant, 
with  eyes,  nose,  mouth,  and  teeth  red  with 
fire. 

The  next  evening  a  man  came  riding  along 
the  trail  by  the  Merrill  cabin. 

"  Indians!  Indians!  The  redskins  are 
coming!  "  he  shouted,  as  he  rode  swiftly  by 
in  the  darkness. 

Mr.  Merrill  had  gone  on  an  errand  to  the 
village,  some  ten  miles  away.  Only  Mrs. 
Merrill  and  her  children  were  at  home;  but 
she  was  a  woman  of  courage. 

"  Bar  the  door,  and  cover  up  the  fire, 
children;  get  your  rifle  ready,  Dave;  the 
Indians  may  pass  by  if  they  see  no  light  here." 

Dave  stood  ready  with  his  rifle.  The 
youngest  girl,  Lizzie,  climbed  up  into  the  loft. 
Ruth  and  her  mother  stood  ready  with  the 

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THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

powderhorn  and  the  bullet-pouch  to  help 
David. 

"  Take  the  axe  and  stand  at  the  window; 
look  sharp  for  an  Indian  head/'  David  whis 
pered  to  his  brother. 

They  had  not  long  to  wait. 

"  There  they  are;  I  can  see  three  of  them 
crawling  up  the  bank/7  whispered  Joe. 

It  now  occurred  to  David  that  he  might 
make  use  of  the  jack-o'-lantern. 

"  We  cannot  be  any  the  worse  off/'  he 
thought;  "  I'll  try  it  anyway." 

In  another  moment  he  had  lighted  a  candle, 
put  it  in  the  jack-o'-lantern,  and  covered  the 
lantern  with  his  coat.  He  carried  it  to  the 
window  and  uncovered  it  just  as  the  Indians 
came  to  the  cabin  door. 

The  redskins  had  probably  never  seen  any 
thing  of  the  kind  before.  Perhaps  they 
thought  some  evil  spirit  was  after  them. 
They  gave  a  yell  and  ran  off  into  the  woods. 

The  boy  thought  the  savages  might  get 
over  their  scare  and  come  back,  and  he  kept 

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THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

the  lantern  at  the  window  until  his  father 
returned. 

Mr.  Merrill  patted  David  on  the  back. 

"  Your  pumpkin  did  us  a  good  turn  this 
time,  my  boy,  and  I  am  proud  of  having  such 
a  son  to  look  after  mother  and  the  children. 
The  pumpkin  pies  will  taste  all  the  better  too. 
You  boys  may  go  to  bed  now.  I  will  watch 
for  the  Indians. " 

Perhaps  the  three  Indians  did  not  intend  to 
do  any  harm.  At  any  rate  they  did  not  come 
back  again. 


79 


XI 

MERCY   TYLER   TRAPS   A    PANTHER 

THE  early  settlers  in  the  old  Granite 
State  of  New  Hampshire  were  beset 
with  many  hardships  and  dangers. 
About  the  year  1790  a  sturdy  pioneer  by  the 
name  of  Jacob  Tyler,  with  wife  and  two  chil 
dren,  tramped  from  Salisbury,  Massachusetts, 
through  the  trackless  forests  and  built  a  cabin 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  Merrimac  River.    At 
this  time  his  daughter  Mercy  was  fifteen, 
while  Parley,  his  son,  was  only  six  years  old. 
Although  far  from  friends  and  neighbors, 
these  good  people  were  living  a  simple,  con 
tented  life.     Of  course  at  times  they  were 
lonely  and  longed  to  return  to  the  old  Bay 
State.     But  it  was  said  that  other  families 

30 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY-BOOK 

were  coming  to  make  their  homes  in  the  same 
region.  The  hope  of  this  made  them  happy, 
and  they  had  much  else  to  be  thankful  for. 
They  had  plenty  of  good  food,  for  the  crops 
had  done  well  that  year.  And  the  children 
had  not  been  sick  a  single  day  since  they  had 
left  their  old  home. 

It  was  the  third  spring  since  the  Tylers 
had  left  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Tyler  had  gone 
early  one  morning  to  his  nearest  neighbor, 
ten  miles  away,  to  borrow  an  axe,  having 
broken  his  own  a  few  days  before.  Mrs. 
Tyler  was  getting  ready  to  do  the  washing, 
and  Mercy  was  helping  her.  Parley  was  out 
playing  in  the  clearing  in  front  of  the  house. 
He  had  found  a  pair  of  old  leather  reins  in  the 
shed  and  tied  them  to  the  front  door  of  the 
log  cabin.  With  a  birch  stick  for  a  whip  he 
was  driving  as  if  he  had  a  real  horse  before 
him. 

"  Mercy,  dear,  go  up  to  the  loft  for  mother 
and  bring  down  the  soiled  clothes  lying  on  the 
floor,"  said  Mrs.  Tyler. 

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THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

"  Yes,  mamma/'  and  Mercy  climbed  up  the 
ladder. 

Suddenly  a  sharp  cry  came  from  the  cabin 
loft. 

"  Oh,  Parley,  come  in  quick!  Hurry,  Par 
ley!  Oh,  mother,  quick!  quick!  look  out, 
quick!  " 

It  was  Mercy's  voice,  but  it  sounded  as  if  it 
were  that  of  some  older  person. 

Parley  was  standing  on  the  step  outside  the 
cabin  door,  gazing  with  smiling  eyes  and  lips 
at  a  strange  creature  creeping  through  a  patch 
of  dead  grass. 

One  look  was  enough  for  the  mother.  In  a 
moment  she  knew  the  long,  crouching  form, 
with  cat-like  head,  with  its  gleaming  eyes 
fixed  on  the  child.  It  was  the  panther,  or 
catamount,  the  most  dreaded  animal  in  all 
pioneer  life. 

The  little  fellow  turned  to  listen  to  his 
sister's  call,  while  the  crouching  panther 
glided  forward. 

The  poor  mother  gasped  for  breath.  She 
82 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

dashed  out  of  the  back  door  and  flew  round  the 
corner  of  the  cabin,  ready  to  fight  the  terrible 
creature  with  her  bare  hands;  but  when  she 
reached  the  front  of  the  cabin,  she  saw  the 
animal  struggling  on  the  doorstep.  It  was 
crying  as  if  in  fear  or  in  pain.  Its  big  head  was 
out  of  sight.  The  stout  oak  door  had  been 
shut  with  a  slam  on  the  panther's  neck  and 
held  it  tight. 

"  Mother,  come  quick!  help!  quick!" 
screamed  Mercy;  "  I  have  his  head  squeezed 
in  the  door.  Quick!  I  cannot  hold  on 
long!  " 

The  brave  little  girl  had  climbed  down  the 
ladder  from  the  loft,  and  in  the  nick  of  time 
had  slammed  the  big  door  to,  just  as  the  ani 
mal  was  creeping  over  the  threshold. 

"  Hold  on  tight,  dear;  mother  will  help  you; 
don't  be  afraid!  Hold  on  for  your  life!  " 

Meanwhile,  the  angry  panther  acted  as  if 
he  were  caught  in  a  trap.  He  growled  and 
snarled,  and  tried  to  get  free.  If  the  angry 
beast  had  forced  his  body  inside  the  cabin,  he 

83 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

would  have  succeeded,  but  he  only  tried  to 
pull  himself  out,  and  was  held  all  the  tighter. 

What  was  to  be  done?  The  snarling  animal 
was  likely  to  get  loose  at  any  moment. 

Mrs.  Tyler  seized  the  leather  reins  with 
which  the  boy  had  been  playing,  and  held 
them  tight. 

"  Now,  Mercy,  listen  and  do  just  as  I  bid 
you!  Tell  Parley  to  get  papa's  gun  up  in  the 
loft;  be  careful,  for  it  is  loaded.  Then  crawl 
out  of  the  back  window  and  bring  the  gun 
to  me.  Hurry!  " 

The  angry  creature  was  twisting  his  body 
to  and  fro  and  growling  fearfully.  It  looked 
as  if  he  would  get  away  at  any  moment.  It 
seemed  a  long  time  before  Mercy  came 
running  round  the  corner  of  the  cabin  with 
the  loaded  musket. 

"  Give  me  the  gun,  Mercy.  Hold  these 
reins  tight,  while  I  shoot  him." 

The  trembling  girl  seized  the  reins,  while  the 
mother  walked  calmly  toward  the  furious 
beast.  She  held  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  just 

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THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

behind  the  animal's  front  legs  and  fired.  The 
catamount  made  one  leap,  pulling  the  reins 
from  Mercy's  weary  hands,  and  fell  dead  on 
the  cabin  floor. 

The  brave  pioneer  woman  dropped  the  gun 
and  began  to  cry. 

"  Why,  mother!  the  panther  can't  hurt  you; 
it's  dead." 

"  Mother  knows  that,  dear;  I  am  only 
weak  for  the  moment.  How  thankful  I  am 
for  such  a  brave  little  daughter!  How  proud 
your  father  will  be!  " 


85 


XII 

BESSIE  BRANDON'S  UNEXPECTED  GUEST 

BESSIE  BRANDON  was  a  pretty  girl 
of    fourteen.      She    lived    with    her 
father  and  mother  on  a  plantation  in 
South  Carolina.  It  was  a  bright  May  morning 
in  1791,  and  the  birds  were  singing  in  the  big 
oak  under  which  she  sat.    But  the  young  girl 
was  sad  and  almost  ready  to  cry. 

At  this  time  the  Revolution  was  at  an  end, 
after  eight  years  of  fighting.  The  thirteen 
colonies  were  now  the  United  States  of 
America,  and  General  George  Washington  was 
the  first  President. 

Now  this  great  and  good  man,  whom  all  the 
people  admired  and  loved,  made  up  his  mind 
to  travel  through  the  South.  He  wanted  to 

86 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

see  and  to  talk  with  the  men  and  women  who 
had  borne  so  many  hardships  during  the  war. 
He  longed  to  greet  the  many  brave  officers 
and  soldiers  who  had  fought  so  well  and  so 
bravely  under  Marion,  Sumter,  and  Greene. 

The  people  of  the  South  were  much  pleased 
to  have  this  great  man  with  them.  Every 
where  they  came  in  crowds  to  greet  and  honor 
their  beloved  President.  In  some  towns 
arches  of  flowers  spanned  the  road.  In  other 
places  young  girls  scattered  flowers  and 
wreaths  of  roses  before  him  as  he  rode  along 
the  street. 

The  morning  on  which  our  story  opens  was 
the  very  day  that  President  Washington  and 
his  party  were  expected  to  ride  through  the 
town  of  Chester,  about  six  miles  from  Bessie 
Brandon's  home.  All  the  family  except  Bessie 
had  gone  early;  she  was  left  behind  to  look 
after  the  house. 

Washington  and  his  party  rode  in  a  large 
cream-colored  coach,  drawn  by  four  white 
horses.  By  the  side  of  the  coach  milk-white 

87 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

saddle-horses  were  led  along,  to  be  used  when 
the  President  was  tired  of  riding  in  the  car 
riage.  Then  there  were  men  on  horseback, 
who  rode  as  an  escort,  besides  a  number  of 
servants  dressed  in  white  suits  with  yellow 
trimmings.  Behind  the  coach  came  the 
baggage-wagon,  drawn  by  two  horses,  and 
followed  by  an  escort  on  horseback. 

"  What  a  splendid  time  they'll  have  at 
Chester/'  thought  Bessie,  sadly;  "  and  brother 
Obed  is  to  make  an  address  of  welcome.  Too 
bad!  too  bad!  "  and  this  time  she  gave  a  sob 
as  she  thought  of  the  gay  scene,  and  herself 
at  home  all  alone. 

How  quiet  it  was!  and  it  was  only  nine 
o'clock,  with  the  long  summer  day  still  before 
her. 

Suddenly  Bessie  heard  the  sound  of  gal 
loping  horses.  It  could  not  be  the  redcoats, 
for  they  had  gone  away  long  ago.  A  party 
came  galloping  down  the  road.  In  another 
moment  a  great  coach  drawn  by  four  horses 
stopped  at  the  gate.  Servants  in  yellow  and 

88 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

gold  opened  the  door  of  the  carriage,  and  out 
stepped  a  tall,  fine-looking  gentleman. 

Bessie  had  dried  her  tears  and  now  stood  on 
the  piazza,  looking  with  wonder  at  the  tall, 
richly  dressed  stranger,  who  walked  slowly 
toward  the  house  and  paused  before  the  steps. 
"  Good  morning,  little  miss.  Can  you  not 
give  me  some  breakfast?  I  have  had  a  long 
ride  since  sunrise,  and  I  am  very  hungry." 

Now,  while  Bessie  was  astonished  at  this 
request  from  a  stranger,  she  was  well-bred. 
She  made  a  deep  curtsy,  as  any  well-bred 
girl  of  that  time  would  do. 

"  Father  and  mother  have  gone  to  Chester, 
sir,  to  see  General  Washington,  and  I  am  left 
to  tend  the  house.  I  hardly  know  what  to 
say." 

"  Pray  tell  me  your  name,  little  miss." 
"  Bessie  Brandon,  sir." 
"  And  how  old  are  you,  Bessie?  " 
"  I  shall  be  fourteen  next  August,  please." 
"  Well,    Bessie,"    continued    the    stranger, 
taking  a  seat  on  the  broad  piazza,  "  never 

89 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

mind  if  you  are  alone.  If  you  will  get  me  some 
breakfast,  I  promise  that  you  shall  see  General 
Washington  before  any  of  your  family  do." 

"  Very  well,  sir;  "  and  her  bright  eyes  began 
to  shine;  "  I  will  do  the  best  I  can  for  you, 
but  our  food  is  plain." 

Bessie  was  an  excellent  housekeeper.  Her 
mother  had  taught  her  how  to  cook  and  to 
wait  on  the  table.  In  a  few  moments  the 
young  girl  had  spread  the  table  with  snow- 
white  linen  and  got  out  her  mother's  best 
china  and  silver.  She  prepared  bacon  and 
eggs,  and  made  coffee;  and  then  with  nimble 
feet  ran  to  the  spring  for  milk  and  butter.  In 
a  few  minutes  a  meal  good  enough  for  the 
best  man  in  the  land  was  neatly  spread  on  the 
table  in  the  cool  sitting  room. 

"  Come,  sir,  your  breakfast  is  ready," 
curtsied  Bessie. 

"  Ah,  my  little  maid,  you  have  done  well. 
Do  you  please  sit  down  with  me,  and  I  shall 
enjoy  this  good  breakfast  with  you." 

The  stately  gentleman  served  his  young 
90 


"DO   YOU    PLEASE   SIT    DOWN    WITH    ME,  AND   I    SHALL 

ENJOY  THIS  GOOD   BREAKFAST   WITH   YOU." 

Page  90. 


v        r,    ,j        9       •  ft        e.      »  «  <      r  4         *        "'*' 

*  %        t     ^  *   * 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

hostess,  and  then  ate  with  relish  the  plain 
but  dainty  breakfast. 

The  guest  was  extremely  dignified  and  sober, 
so  dignified  and  so  sober  that  I  suppose  Bessie 
was  not  sorry  when  the  meal  was  over. 

When  he  had  finished  his  breakfast  and  was 
ready  to  go  on  his  journey,  he  bent  gently 
down  and  kissed  his  little  hostess. 

"  Bessie,  my  dear,  you  may  tell  your  father 
and  mother  that  you  not  only  saw  General 
Washington  before  anybody  else  did  in  the 
city,  but  that  you  ate  breakfast  with  him,  and 
that  he  kissed  you.77 

Bessie  Brandon  lived  to  be  an  old  lady. 
She  often  told  of  the  day  when  she  had  the 
honor  of  preparing  breakfast  for  President 
Washington  and  of  eating  it  with  him. 


91 


XIII 

DAVID   MILLER   KILLS   A   RATTLESNAKE 

THE  pioneers  of  Indiana  had  to  fight 
many  kinds  of  foes,  seen  and  unseen. 
The  wolves  killed  their  sheep,  the 
foxes  and  lynx  ate  their  lambs  and  pigs,  and 
the  raccoons  and  squirrels  fed  on  their  corn. 
Even  the  turtles  in  the  ponds  caught  the 
ducks  and  the  young  geese.    And  then  there 
were  the  savages,  chills  and  fever,  vermin,  and 
poisonous  snakes. 

Perhaps  the  most  dreaded  foes  of  all  were 
the  deadly  rattlesnakes  and  copperheads.  In 
some  parts  of  the  state  they  were  so  thick 
that  it  was  hardly  safe  to  walk  about.  Not 
only  were  men,  women,  and  children  bitten, 
but  cows,  horses,  and  dogs  met  death  in  the 

same  horrible  way. 

92 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

The  rattlesnake  gives  a  warning  before 
striking,  but  the  copperhead  strikes  as  quick 
as  lightning,  and  death  soon  follows. 

A  mother  would  be  busy  about  her  house 
work.  One  of  her  children  would  be  playing 
out  near  the  corn-crib,  or  the  baby  would  be 
crawling  across  the  cabin  floor.  Suddenly 
there  was  a  scream.  The  mother  ran  to  the 
help  of  her  little  one,  but  she  was  too  late. 

Many  years  ago  a  settler  named  Isaac 
Miller  and  his  good  wife  Betsy  owned  a  large 
farm  on  Raccoon  Creek,  not  far  from  what  is 
now  the  city  of  Terre  Haute.  They  had  three 
children.  David  was  ten  years  old,  Bessie  six, 
and  Sally  five. 

One  morning  in  early  summer  Mr.  Miller 
and  his  wife  were  going  to  town,  to  sell  butter 
and  eggs.  The  three  children  were  to  be  left 
at  home. 

"  Now,  my  boy/'  said  Mrs.  Miller,  calling 
David  to  her,  "  stay  in  the  cabin  and  don't  go 
out  into  the  woods.  Take  good  care  of  Bessie 
and  Sally.  Rattlers  are  thick,  and  they  are 

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THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

ugly  this  warm  weather.  You  know  how  your 
poor  brother  Isaac  died  from  a  rattler's  bite 
only  last  August.  We  shall  be  at  home  before 
evening." 

"  Never  mind,  mother;  I  will  watch  the 
girls  and  keep  them  from  getting  hurt.  I 
will  stay  close  to  the  cabin." 

The  father  and  mother  soon  rode  away. 
The  children  played  together  for  a  time,  but 
it  was  a  hot  day,  and  the  woods  behind  the 
cabin  looked  shady  and  cool.  At  the  back 
of  the  cabin,  under  a  shed,  was  a  large  bin 
for  storing  grain. 

"  I  will  let  the  girls  play  in  the  bin  for  a 
while,"  thought  David,  "  while  I  go  out  and 
see  if  the  squirrels  are  eating  the  corn." 

So  into  the  big  bin  climbed  the  two  little 
girls  and  began  to  play. 

"  Come  back  quick,  Dave,"  called  Bessie; 
"  we  want  you  to  play  with  us  out  in  the 
woods." 

David  walked  slowly  toward  the  cornfield, 
through  the  shady  woods. 

94 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

Suddenly  in  the  quiet  of  the  morning  he 
heard  the  children  screaming  at  the  top  of 
their  voices. 

"  Oh,  Dave!  Oh,  mother,  mother!  Come 
quick!  A  snake,  a  snake!  ': 

Poor  David's  heart  seemed  to  jump  out  of 
his  mouth.  He  ran  quickly  to  the  bin;  and 
it  was  well  he  did;  the  sight  almost  froze  the 
blood  in  his  body.  Bessie  was  sitting  at  one 
corner,  while  Sally  was  kneeling  in  the  oppo 
site  corner.  They  were  shaking  with  terror. 
A  big  rattlesnake  was  coiled  up  in  the 
middle  of  the  floor.  His  eyes  had  a  wicked 
gleam,  and  he  was  ready  to  strike, 

David  was  brave-hearted,  and  did  not  give 
way  to  fear  for  a  moment. 

"  Don't  move  for  your  lives,  children!  I 
will  kill  that  rattler.  Don't  cry,  I  will  be  back 
in  a  minute." 

He  knew  that  his  mother  had  left  on  the 
crane  in  the  fireplace  a  huge  pot  of  hominy, 
boiling  in  lye. 

"  Pour  in  more  water,  David,  as  fast  as  it 
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THE   AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

boils  away,"  were  his  mother's  last  words  that 
morning,  when  she  was  leaving  the  house. 

David  rushed  into  the  cabin.  He  seized  a 
half-gallon  gourd  which  lay  on  the  hearth, 
dipped  it  full  of  boiling  hominy  and  lye,  and 
hurried  back  to  the  bin. 

The  angry  snake  turned  toward  him  as  if  to 
strike. 

David  kept  cool.  He  leaned  over  the  side 
of  the  bin  and  with  a  steady  hand  dashed  the 
fiery  stuff  on  the  big  snake. 

"  Come  here  quick,  children!  r> 

In  another  moment  he  had  dragged  his 
sisters  out  of  the  bin. 

The  ugly  snake  writhed  in  agony.  It  tried 
to  wriggle  its  way  back  through  the  hole  in 
the  floor,  where  it  had  crawled  in,  but  it  was 
too  badly  scalded  to  escape,  and  soon  died. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  the  father  and 
mother  came  home. 

"  You  did  wrong  to  leave  your  sisters  and 
go  out  into  the  woods/7  said  his  mother; 
"  but  you  were  a  brave  boy  to  kill  that  hor- 

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THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

rid  snake  with  the  hot  hominy.     Some  boys 
would  never  have  thought  of  it." 

"  Yes,  you  saved  the  lives  of  your  dear 
little  sisters,  my  boy/'  added  his  father, 
"  and  I  am  proud  of  you." 


97 


XIV 

LITTLE   JARVIS,   THE   MIDSHIPMAN 

MORE  than  a  hundred  years  ago  the 
British  warships  used  to  seize  and 
search  American  vessels  and  carry 
off  American  sailors.     The  officers  said  they 
were  deserters  from  the  British  navy.     War 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain 
seemed  likely  to  break  out  at  any  moment. 

To  put  an  end  to  these  and  many  other 
troubles,  John  Jay,  one  of  the  great  statesmen 
of  that  time,  was  sent  on  a  special  mission  to 
England.  Mr.  Jay  succeeded  in  making 
a  treaty;  but  this  treaty  made  many  of  our 
people  angry,  especially  those  who  wanted  the 
United  States  to  quarrel  with  Great  Britain 
and  take  sides  with  France.  The  French  were 

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THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

angry  at  us  for  making  the  treaty,  and  or 
dered  our  minister  to  leave  France.  The 
French  cruisers  then  began  to  seize  American 
merchant  vessels. 

General  Washington,  who  had  twice  been 
elected  President,  now  declined  to  serve  a 
third  term.  John  Adams,  who  was  chosen  to 
succeed  him,  sent  statesmen  to  France  to  try 
to  keep  peace.  Agents  of  the  French  govern 
ment  told  them  that  the  matter  would  be 
made  right  if  they  bribed  several  members  of 
the  French  government. 

When  this  base  and  insulting  offer  became 
known  at  home,  there  was  an  outburst  of 
anger  from  one  end  of  the  United  States  to  the 
other.  Everywhere  the  war  fever  grew  hotter 
and  hotter. 

Such  a  feeling  for  war  had  not  been  known 
since  the  Battle  of  Lexington.  Patriotic 
songs  were  written  and  sung.  One  of  these 
songs,  named  "  Hail,  Columbia, "  written  by 
Joseph  Hopkinson,  still  lives  as  a  national 
air. 

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THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

"  Millions  for  defense,  not  one  cent  for 
tribute!  "  became  the  popular  war  cry. 

Men  worked  without  pay  in  building  forts 
along  the  seacoast.  The  women  made  flags 
and  banners.  An  army  was  raised,  and  Wash 
ington  was  chosen  to  command  it.  Congress 
voted  to  furnish  three  frigates,  the  United 
States,  the  Constitution,  and  the  Constella 
tion. 

In  February,  1799,  the  Constellation,  com 
manded  by  the  gallant  Thomas  Truxton, 
captured  the  great  French  frigate  L'lnsur- 
gente.  This  victory  caused  great  rejoicing 
in  the  United  States  and  in  England. 

The  newspapers  were  full  of  praise  for 
Captain  Truxton,  and  a  ballad  called  "  Trux- 
ton's  Victory "  was  sung  everywhere.  The 
London  merchants  sent  him  a  service  of  silver 
plate  costing  three  thousand  dollars. 

Among  the  under  officers  of  Captain  Trux 
ton  was  a  midshipman  named  James  Jarvis, 
but  thirteen  years  old.  He  was  so  small  that 
he  was  nicknamed  Little  Jarvis.  Like  most 

100 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  T  BOOK       . 

boys  of  his  age,  he  was  full  of  pranks.  Indeed, 
if  the  officer  of  the  deck  happened  to  be  out  of 
sight  for  a  few  minutes,  Little  Jarvis  would 
be  turning  a  somersault  or  standing  on  his 
head.  This  of  course  was  not  allowed  on  the 
quarter-deck  of  a  warship. 

"  Up  the  masthead,  sir!  the  quarter-deck 
is  no  place  for  a  circus.  Mind  you  that, 
young  man!  "  the  officer  of  the  deck  would 
roar. 

With  a  book  in  his  pocket,  the  little  mid 
shipman  climbed  to  the  crosstrees.  Although 
often  punished  in  this  way,  he  was  liked  by 
everybody,  from  the  bluff  Captain  Truxton 
to  the  common  sailors,  for  he  was  a  manly 
fellow  and  never  did  a  mean  thing. 

"  If  you  please,  sir,"  he  said  one  day,  when 
he  came  down  from  the  crosstrees  and  saluted 
the  officer  of  the  deck,  "  there's  a  sail  off  the 
port  quarter.  I  called  out  once  before,  but 
nobody  heard  me.  I  think,  sir,  it  is  a  frigate." 

"  Sail,  ho! "  called  the  lookout  on  the 
quarter. 

101 


TJIE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

It  proved  to  be  a  frigate,  and  a  French 
frigate  too,  La  Vengeance,  one  of  the  great 
54-gun  ships  of  the  French  navy. 

When  the  French  frigate  got  a  good  look 
at  the  American  warship,  she  tried  to  escape. 
The  Constellation  had  to  crowd  on  sail  to 
overhaul  her.  It  took  nearly  an  hour  for  her 
to  get  within  fighting  distance. 

Captain  Truxton  called  his  men  round  him 
and  made  a  short  speech  before  they  went  to 
their  places.  Little  Jarvis  had  never  been 
in  an  engagement.  He  knew  well  enough  that 
he  belonged  in  the  maintop,  but  he  was  so  full 
of  fight  that  he  wanted  to  be  on  deck  and  have 
a  chance  to  show  what  he  could  do.  But  he 
was  ordered  aloft  with  several  steady  old 
topmen,  who  were  told  to  keep  an  eye  on 
him. 

It  was  at  midnight,  and  a  lovely  moon 
light  night,  when  the  ships  neared  each  other 
and  began  a  sharp  fight.  The  smoke  soon 
got  so  thick  that  nothing  could  be  seen  from 
the  crosstrees  but  the  flash  of  the  guns.  The 

102 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

young  lad  could  hear  the  hoarse  orders  of  the 
officers,  the  cheers  of  the  gunners,  and  the 
cries  of  the  wounded,  mingled  with  the  thunder 
of  the  big  guns. 

Little  Jarvis  could  not  do  any  real  fight 
ing,  but  he  waved  his  sword  and  cheered  as 
loudly  as  anybody. 

"  Hurrah!  Give  it  to  them,  men!  Let 
them  have  it!  "  he  shouted  again  and  again, 
but  his  voice  was  lost  in  the  roar  of  battle. 

For  three  hours  the  battle  went  on.  The 
French  frigate  fought  bravely,  but  could  not 
stand  against  the  skill  of  the  American  gun 
ners.  The  gallant  ship  now  rolled  a  helpless 
wreck.  At  the  last  moment  of  the  battle  a 
double  shot  came  crashing  through  the  rigging 
of  the  Constellation  and  struck  the  main 
mast. 

"  Mr.  Jarvis,"  shouted  the  captain  of  the 
maintopmen,  "  the  mainmast  is  a-going!  " 

"  Can  we  hold  on  a  minute  longer?  "  asked 
Jarvis. 

The  mast  was  already  swaying. 
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THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY-BOOK 

"  No,  Mr.  Jarvis;  we  can't  stay  a  moment 
longer;  it  is  death  for  us  all/7 

"  Yes,  but  I  am  an  officer/'  was  the  firm 
reply;  "  I  cannot  leave  my  post.  An  officer 
must  die  at  his  post.  If  the  mast  goes,  I 
must  go  with  it." 

In  vain  the  sailors  shouted  and  swore  at  the 
boy.  He  would  not  move  an  inch.  The  top- 
men,  without  waiting  for  orders,  began  to  go 
down,catching  at  the  rigging  as  best  they  could. 

Calmly  and  quietly,  with  a  strange  light  in 
his  face,  the  little  midshipman  remained  at 
his  post.  The  next  moment  the  mast  came 
down  with  a  crash  that  shook  every  timber 
in  the  stanch  frigate,  and  with  it  came  the 
boy.  He  was  picked  up  quite  dead. 

The  captain  of  the  topmen  approached 
Captain  Truxton  and  saluted. 

"  He  might  have  saved  himself,  sir,  but  he 
would  not  do  it.  He  said  he  was  an  officer 
and  could  not  leave  his  post." 

The  next  morning,  wrapped  in  the  American 
flag,  Jarvis's  body  lay  on  the  quarter-deck. 

104 


THE   AMERICAN    HISTORY   STORY-BOOK 

The  officers  and  men  stood  with  uncovered 
heads  and  heard  the  burial-service  read.  Two 
of  the  sailors  made  ready  to  unloose  the  flag 
and  slide  the  body  over  the  rail. 

"No,"  came  the  command  of  Captain 
Truxton;  "  make  the  flag  fast.  Mr.  Jarvis  has 
well  defended  that  flag.  He  shall  be  buried 
in  it." 

The  next  moment  the  body  of  the  young 
midshipman  sank  quietly  into  the  depths  of 
the  ocean. 

"  Gentlemen/7  said  Captain  Truxton,  with 
husky  voice,  "  Little  Jarvis  has  indeed  gone 
aloft." 

The  story  of  this  splendid  fight  was  soon 
told  at  home.  Congress  thanked  the  officers 
and  men  of  the  Constellation,  and  gave 
Captain  Truxton  a  gold  medal.  It  also  passed 
a  resolution  in  honor  of  Little  Jarvis,  saying, 
"  The  conduct  of  James  Jarvis,  a  midshipman 
on  said  frigate,  who  gloriously  preferred  certain 
death  to  leaving  his  post,  is  deserving  of  the 
highest  praise." 

105 


XV 

HELEN  PATTERSON'S  ESCAPE 

DANIEL  BOONE,  the  famous  pioneer 
and  first  settler  of  Kentucky,  made 
up  his  mind  to  leave  his  home  and  go 
to  Missouri.    He  had  lost  all  his  land  in  Ken 
tucky,  and  now  in  his  old  age  he  wished  to 
begin  life  again  in  the  silence  of  the  wild 
region  west  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

"  Why  are  you  going  into  the  woods  again, 
Dan?  "  asked  his  wife. 

"It  is  getting  too  thick  around  here  for 
me;  I  want  more  elbow  room.  I  must  get 
back  into  the  wilderness,  where  I  can  once 
more  hunt  the  buffalo  and  the  deer." 
[  So  it  came  about  in  the  year  1797  that  the 
old  hunter  and  Indian  fighter  took  his  family 

106 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

and  went  over  into  the  deep  woods  of  Missouri. 
He  built  his  cabin  on  the  Missouri  River,  in 
the  district  of  St.  Charles,  about  forty  miles 
west  of  the  then  little  town  of  St.  Louis. 
Missouri  was  at  this  time  a  wild  country  and 
full  of  bands  of  prowling  savages.  These  In 
dians  liked  nothing  better  than  to  plunder 
and  burn  the  log  cabins  of  the  settlers  and 
steal  their  cattle  and  horses. 

A  few  years  after  Daniel  Boone  had  moved 
to  his  new  home,  another  pioneer,  a  Mr. 
Patterson,  also  moved  from  Kentucky  and 
settled  only  a  few  miles  from  the  home  of  the 
old  hunter. 

At  this  time  Mr.  Patterson  had  a  daughter 
named  Helen,  about  eighteen  years  of  age. 

One  day  in  June  all  the  Patterson  family 
except  Helen  were  away  from  home.  The 
girl  sat  t>y  the  open  door,  busily  spinning.  All 
of  a  sudden  the  lonely  cabin  was  surrounded 
by  a  band  of  Indians.  Helen  knew  well 
enough  that  it  would  be  useless  to  cry  for 
help,  or  try  to  escape.  One  of  the  redskins, 

107 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

who  could  talk  a  little  English,  told  her  that 
if  she  made  an  outcry  they  would  kill  her. 

The  Indians  ransacked  the  cabin  and  made 
ready  to  take  away  such  things  as  they  could 
easily  carry.  In  a  few  minutes  the  whole 
band,  with  Helen  as  their  captive,  set  off 
afoot  to  the  north  through  the  forest. 

"Oh!"  cried  the  girl;  "  what  will  father 
and  mother  think,  when  they  come  back  and 
find  that  I  have  been  carried  away?  ' 

She  had  with  her  a  ball  of  white  yarn.  As 
they  went  through  the  forest,  she  occasionally 
broke  off  bits  of  yarn  and  dropped  them  along 
the  way.  She  knew  that  her  father  and 
friends  would  follow  in  pursuit,  and  that  the 
yarn  would  serve  as  a  guide.  A  savage  caught 
the  girl  at  it,  and  raised  his  tomahawk  as  if  to 
kill  her.  The  ball  of  yarn  was  taken  from  her, 
and  she  was  closely  watched,  for  fear  she 
would  try  again  to  mark  the  trail. 

During  the  afternoon  the  Indians  became 
uneasy.  It  was  plain  to  Helen  that  her 
friends  were  in  pursuit  and  that  the  savages 

108 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

knew  it.  About  sunset  two  of  the  Indians 
went  back  to  find  out  the  real  state  of  affairs. 
The  rest  of  the  band  had  a  long  and  exciting 
talk  until  their  comrades  returned. 

It  was  now  dark.  The  night  was  cloudy, 
and  the  rumbling  of  distant  thunder  gave 
warning  of  a  storm.  The  savages  crossed  the 
creek  they  had  been  following,  and  led  the 
girl  into  the  deep  woods,  about  a  mile  from 
the  ford.  They  then  tied  her  wrists  together, 
pulled  her  arms  above  her  head,  and  fastened 
them  with  strips  of  deerskin  to  a  branch  of  a 
tree. 

"  Indians  now  go  ford,  and  hide,  and  kill 
white  man,"  muttered  the  Indian,  who  could 
speak  a  little  broken  English. 

Helen  was  now  alone  in  the  woods,  and  tied 
so  tight  that  she  could  not  hope  to  escape. 
Her  fingers  and  wrists  began  to  swell,  and  she 
was  almost  wild  with  pain  and  fear.  She  tried 
with  all  her  strength  to  get  free,  but  it  was  of 
no  use.  She  knew  that  the  savages  might 
come  back  at  any  moment  and  kill  her,  and 

109 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

she  prayed  to  God  to  send  somebody  to  set 
her  free. 

The  lightning  lit  up  the  dark  woods,  and  the 
peals  of  thunder  came  louder  and  louder. 
Down  came  the  rain  in  torrents  and  drenched 
the  captive  girl.  Once  more  she  tried  to 
escape,  and  this  time  her  hands  slipped  easily 
through  the  rain-soaked  thongs  of  deerskin. 
It  took  but  a  moment  to  untie  her  feet.  Then, 
fleet  as  a  deer,  she  ran  toward  the  ford. 

"  If  I  can  only  get  there  in  time  to  warn  my 
father  and  my  brothers!  " 

At  last,  tired  out,  she  sat  under  a  tree  in  the 
pouring  rain  and  eagerly  strained  her  eyes  to 
catch  a  glimpse  of  her  rescuers.  In  a  short 
time  she  caught  sight  of  some  persons  moving 
through  the  forest. 

Who  could  it  be?  Might  it  not  be  some  of 
the  savages  coming  back  for  her?  Could  it 
indeed  be  her  father  and  her  brothers? 

"  Father!  father!  "  she  cried  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Helen,  dear  girl,  is  that  you?  "  came  the 

reply. 

110 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

In  another  moment  she  was  held  in  the  arms 
of  her  father,  and  her  two  brothers  and  the 
two  sturdy  sons  of  Daniel  Boone  were  praising 
her  for  her  courage. 

They  now  made  their  way  home  in  safety 
over  a  new  trail.  Helen's  mother,  nearly 
frantic  at  the  loss  of  her  daughter,  was  over 
come  with  joy  at  her  return. 


Ill 


XVI 

A   LAST  BLOW   FOR   SPAIN 

IT  was  a  bright  July  morning,  nearly  one 
hundred  years  ago.     A  boy  of  sixteen, 
dressed  in  the  uniform  of  a  captain  of  the 
Spanish  army,  stood  at  the  outer  gate  of  an 
old  crumbling  fort  at  Baton  Rouge,  in  what 
is  now  the  state  of  Louisiana.      With  red 
cheeks  and  flashing  eyes  the  boy  was  listening 
to  Sera,  an  old  sergeant. 

"  Captain  Louis/7  continued  the  old  soldier. 
"  Well,  Sergeant  Sera." 
"  There  is  sad  news  from  above;  the  Ameri 
cans   are  marching  rapidly  on   our   village. 
They  swear  they  will  drive  us  out." 

"  Let  the  Americans  do  their  work,"  proudly 
answered  Louis  Grandpre;  "  we  must  do  our 
duty.  Who  leads  these  Americans?  r' 

112 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY-BOOK 

"  Captain  Thomas  leads  the  riflemen.  Pas- 
son,  whose  life  your  father  once  saved,  leads 
the  dragoons.  It  is  said  there  are  one  hundred 
and  forty  of  them  in  all.  Pray,  Captain 
Louis,  what  can  we  do?  r' 

"  Do?  "  cried  the  young  captain.  "  We 
can  hold  the  fort  for  Spain  and  for  King  Fer 
dinand.  It  is  what  we  are  here  for.  A  soldier 
of  Spain  must  do  his  duty;  if  it  comes  to  the 
worst,  he  must  die." 

The  old  sergeant  shuffled  off  to  his  quarters, 
talking  to  himself.  He  had  watched  over  his 
young  master  from  the  time  he  was  a  child. 
He  rejoiced  at  the  boy's  pluck  and  courage. 
Yet  the  old  veteran  knew  too  well  it  was  all 
in  vain. 

There  was  trouble  and  unrest  all  through 
this  section  of  Louisiana,  which  was  not  yet 
free  from  the  power  of  Spain.  The  vast 
region  beyond  the  Mississippi,  known  as 
Louisiana,  had  been  taken  by  France  a  hun 
dred  years  before  the  close  of  the  American 
Revolution.  Eighty  years  later  France  had 

113 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

ceded  it  to  Spain,  at  the  time  she  gave  up 
Canada  and  the  Ohio  valley  to  England.  In 
1800  the  great  Napoleon  forced  Spain  to  give 
it  back  to  France.  Thus  the  mouth  of  the 
great  Mississippi  River  was  closed  to  American 
trade. 

The  people  of  the  West  had  now  no  outlet 
for  their  goods.  They  said  they  would  march 
down  the  river  and  take  New  Orleans  by 
force. 

At  this  time  Napoleon  had  great  need  of 
money,  and  sold  us  this  whole  territory  for 
fifteen  million  dollars.  It  was  a  great  bargain 
for  our  nation.  This  region  contained  more 
square  miles  than  all  the  original  thirteen 
colonies  combined. 

Of  course  Spain  made  loud  objection  to  the 
trade.  But  she  knew  well  enough  that  she 
could  not  hold  this  vast  region  against  the 
wishes  of  our  great  republic.  And  France  be 
lieved  that  this  bargain  must  end  forever 
Spanish  rule  on  the  American  continent. 

At  the  time  of  our  story,  only  a  strip  of 
114 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

country  not  much  larger  than  the  little  state 
of  Delaware  was  left  in  the  hands  of  Spain, 
The  American  pioneers  were  bound  to  have 
this  too.  The  only  thing  in  the  way  was  an 
old  tumble-down  fort  at  Baton  Rouge,  from 
which  still  floated  the  proud  flag  of  Spain. 

Louis  Grandpre  was  now  in  command  of 
this  fort.  He  was  no  common  boy.  He  had 
been  born  and  reared  amid  all  the  dangers  and 
hardships  of  frontier  life.  His  father,  a  brave 
Spanish  soldier,  had  taught  him  that  to  obey 
was  the  first  duty  of  a  soldier.  On  his  death 
bed  his  parting  words  were,  "  Loyalty  to 
king,  to  country,  and  to  flag." 

What  could  the  young  Spaniard  do?  He 
had  only  a  few  crippled,  worn-out  veterans; 
and  the  fort  had  not  been  repaired  for  a  dozen 
years. 

He  rode  into  the  square  of  the  little  town  of 
Baton  Rouge  and  stood  beneath  the  folds  of 
the  Spanish  banner. 

"  Long  live  King  Ferdinand!  Rally  to  the 
help  of  the  King's  fort!  I  am  here  to  defend  it 

115 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY-BOOK 

against  all  enemies  of  the  King.  If  you  are 
true  and  loyal  sons  of  Spain,  follow  me." 

He  rode  back  with  the  banner  floating  over 
his  head,  and  the  fife  and  drum  playing  a 
martial  air. 

Within  the  gates  of  the  fort  he  drew  up  his 
sorry-looking  army  of  less  than  one  hundred 
men.  In  a  few  earnest  words  he  bade  them 
stand  firm  for  the  King. 

"I  am  only  a  boy,"  he  added,  "but  I  will 
face  my  duty  proudly  and  remain  steadfast 
to  the  end.  Here  will  I  make  one  last  stand 
for  the  honor  of  Spain.  Here  I  will  fight  one 
last  battle  f  or'the  glory  of  my  country  and  my 
flag." 

So  it  came  about  that  on  this  hot  July  day 
a  hundred  poor,  old,  worn-out  Spanish  vet 
erans  stood  drawn  up  in  battle  array  within 
the  old  fort.  Some  of  them  even  began  to 
boast  of  what  they  would  do  again. 

They  had  not  long  to  wait.  There  was  a 
clattter  of  hoofs  through  the  deserted  village, 
and  the  call  of  the  bugle,  demanding  a  parley. 

116 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

Old  Sergeant  Sera,  stiff  in  his  joints  and 
lame  from  many  wounds,  swung  open  the  big 
gate. 

Passon,  with  his  mounted  riflemen,  dashed 
through  and  toppled  over  the  old  sergeant. 

Young  Captain  Grandpre,  sword  in  hand, 
faced  the  dragoon. 

"  Sir,  what  means  this  insult,  this  hostile 
entrance  into  a  fort  of  the  King  of  Spain?  '' 

"  Well,  well!  "  laughed  Passon,  as  he  reined 
in  his  horse;  "  are  you  the  captain  here? 
Well,  my  boy,  we  want  your  fort;  and  we 
must  have  it." 

"  This  post  of  Baton  Rouge  belongs  to 
His  Majesty,  King  Ferdinand  of  Spain,"  was 
the  proud  reply.  "  I  am  in  command.  I  am 
here  to  defend  it  with  my  life.  Leave  this 
fort  at  once,  or  I  shall  order  my  men  to  fire 
upon  you." 

"  Well,  what  a  fine  young  chap  we  have 
here,"  cried  Passon,  while  his  men  shouted 
with  laughter.  "  Indeed,  you  are  a  fierce 
young  hotspur.  We  have  taken  a  fancy  to 

117 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

this  fort   of  yours,   and  we  mean   to   have 
it." 

Upon  this  the  bold  captain  of  the  dragoons 
reached  down  from  his  horse  as  if  to  seize 
young  Louis  as  a  prisoner. 

"  Ho,  there!  "  shouted  Captain  Louis  to  his 
men.  "  Drive  these  traitors  out!  Ready! 
Fire!  " 

With  drawn  sword  the  young  captain 
turned  toward  his  veterans  to  urge  them  to 
fight. 

Not  a  man  was  there.  Such  was  their 
dread  of  the  Americans  that  they  had  made 
haste  to  escape  into  the  blockhouse. 

"  Cowards!  cowards!  all  of  you.  Will  you 
run  from  a  lot  of  Yankee  traitors?  Come  out 
and  fight!  "  and  his  young  face  was  crimson 
with  shame. 

"  Come,  my  boy,"  the  dragoon  urged,  "  I 
don't  want  to  hurt  you,  but  we  must  have  this 
fort." 

"  Never!  It  is  my  duty  to  hold  this  fort, 
and  hold  it  I  will." 

118 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

"  We  are  wasting  time/7  grumbled  Passon, 
in  anger.  "  Charge,  boys!  Charge  the  block 
house!  " 

Before  the  horsemen  could  reach  the  old 
tumble-down  building,  the  young  Spaniard 
had  sprung  to  the  gate  and  closed  and  barred 
it.  In  another  moment  he  was  rallying  his 
men. 

"  Follow  me  and  drive  these  traitors  out!  " 

Sword  in  hand,  young  Grandpre  went  forth 
to  meet  the  foe.  But  he  went  alone. 

At  that  moment  Captain  Thomas,  with 
eighty  riflemen,  dashed  through  the  southern 
gate  of  the  fort.  The  dragoons  jumped  from 
their  horses.  They  pounded  away  at  the 
rickety  gate  of  the  blockhouse.  Down  it  fell 
with  a  crash,  and  the  Americans  rushed 
in. 

Bracing  himself  against  the  wall,  with 
sword  flashing  in  the  sunlight,  Captain 
Louis  Grandpre  stood  facing  his  foe,  one 
against  a  hundred,  and  he  a  boy. 

"  Back,  every  one  of  you!  Back,  on  your 
119 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY-BOOK 

lives!  Ho!  there  in  the  blockhouse!  Fire  on 
the  traitors! " 

Clear  and  loud  rang  out  the  fire  of  the 
riflemen.  With  wild  clatter,  the  dragoons 
charged  up  to  the  door.  There,  fighting  for 
the  fort  which  he  deemed  it  his  duty  to  de 
fend,  Grandpre  fell,  his  king's  name  on  his 
lips,  "  Long  live  King  Ferdinand! " 

Thus  died  Captain  Louis  Grandpre.  Brave 
and  faithful  to  his  trust,  the  boy-soldier 
struck  the  last  blow  for  Spain  in  the  land 
where  she  had  won  and  lost  an  empire. 


120 


XVII 

THE  CHARGE  OF  THE  HOUNDS 

DURING  our  second  war  with  Great 
Britain,  the  War  of  1812,  the  pioneers 
in  the  Southwest  suffered  much  from 
the  red  men.    The  British  supplied  the  Creek 
Indians  with  guns,  and  paid  them  in  gold  for 
scalps. 

Alabama  endured  all  the  horrors  of  frontier 
life.  In  August,  1813,  the  famous  Creek 
chief  Red  Eagle,  with  a  thousand  warriors, 
attacked  Fort  Mimms,  the  largest  and  strong 
est  fort  of  this  region.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
desperate  battles  known  in  Indian  warfare. 
The  fort  was  burned  to  the  ground,  and  about 
five  hundred  men,  women,  and  children  were 
killed. 

121 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

This  was  indeed  sad  news  to  the  settlers  in 
the  region  round  the  Alabama  and  Tombigbee 
rivers.  It  meant  that  the  "  redsticks,"  as 
the  Creek  warriors  were  called,  were  on  the 
warpath.  If  the  settlers  would  save  them 
selves  and  their  wives  and  children  from  a 
cruel  death  by  the  savages,  they  must  get 
what  food  they  could,  leave  their  property  to 
be  carried  away  or  destroyed,  and  seek 
shelter  in  the  nearest  stockade. 

Such  was  the  terror  caused  by  the  terrible 
fight  at  Fort  Minims  that  the  settlers  in  what 
is  now  Clarke  County  took  their  families  as 
quickly  as  they  could  to  a  little  fort  called 
Burnt  Corn. 

A  little  way  from  the  fort  lived  two  families 
consisting  of  twenty  people.  They  did  not 
believe  there  were  any  Creeks  near,  and  de 
cided  to  stay  in  their  homes.  That  very 
night  the  redskins  set  fire  to  the  cabins,  and 
killed  all  but  five  of  the  inmates.  These  es 
caped  to  the  stockade  and  told  the  sad  news. 

The  next  day  the  settlers  went  out  from  the 
122 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

fort  to  bring  the  bodies  of  their  friends  and 
bury  them.  They  believed  the  Indians  had 
left  the  region.  So  sure  were  they  of  this  that 
they  did  not  take  their  guns  with  them,  and 
even  left  the  gate  of  the  stockade  open. 

A  large  party  of  Indians  was  watching 
them  all  the  time.  Crawling  like  snakes 
through  the  underbrush,  they  came  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  the  stockade,  while  the 
settlers  stood  weeping  round  the  graves  of 
their  friends. 

Suddenly  a  savage  war  cry  rent  the  air. 
The  crafty  chief  Francis  at  the  head  of  his 
warriors  made  a  rush  for  the  open  gate  of  the 
fort. 

The  pioneers  ran  with  all  speed.  They 
reached  the  stockade  and  shut  the  gate  just 
in  time.  But  to  their  horror  their  women  and 
children  were  shut  outside,  and  the  Indians 
were  between  them  and  the  fort. 

It  was  a  moment  of  terror. 

Now  at  the  fort  there  was  a  young  fellow 
named  Isaac  Haden.  Young  as  he  was,  he 

123 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

was  cool  and  fearless,  and  already  well  known 
as  an  Indian  fighter.  On  this  particular  day 
he  had  been  out  in  search  of  stray  cattle,  and 
just  as  things  were  at  their  worst  he  rode  up 
with  his  pack  of  hounds  at  his  heels.  Quick  as 
a  flash  he  saw  the  peril  of  his  friends.  He 
knew  that  he  must  help  them  at  any  risk. 

"  Here,  Tiger!  Here,  Nero!  Here,  Csesar!  " 
he  cried  to  his  oldest  dogs. 

In  another  moment,  followed  by  the  whole 
pack  of  savage  animals,  he  charged  on  the 
redskins.  Some  of  the  Indians  were  seized 
by  the  dogs  and  brought  to  the  ground.  The 
others  were  only  too  glad  to  escape  by  running 
into  the  woods. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  women  and  children 
had  time  to  reach  the  stockade,  and  the  great 
oak  gate  was  shut.  Isaac  was  left  outside. 
The  savages  quickly  rallied  when  they  saw 
the  plight  of  the  young  pioneer. 

"  I  have  at  least  saved  the  women  and 
children/'  muttered  Isaac,  when  he  heard  the 
war  cry  of  the  Creeks.  "  I  suppose  there  is 

124 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

no  help  for  me;  but  I  don't  mean  to  die 
without  making  one  more  charge  on  those 
redskins." 

He  blew  a  blast  on  his  hunting-horn,  to  call 
his  dogs  around  him.  Digging  his  spurs  into 
the  flanks  of  his  horse,  he  again  charged  the 
savages.  He  broke  through  them,  but  his 
good  horse  fell  dead  from  an  Indian's  bullet. 
He  jumped  from  the  saddle  and  ran  with  all 
his  might  toward  the  stockade. 

With  wild  cries  the  Creeks  were  after  him. 
The  rifle  bullets  whizzed  by  his  head.  Several 
bullets  passed  through  his  clothing  without 
his  receiving  even  a  scratch.  The  redskins 
were  now  close  at  his  heels,  but  the  brave 
young  fellow  reached  the  great  oak  gate, 
which  the  settlers  were  holding  a  little  way 
open  for  him.  In  another  moment  he  was 
safe  inside,  and  the  gate  was  shut  in  the  faces 
of  the  bloodthirsty  savages. 


125 


XVIII 

THE  DEFENSE  OF  FORT  STEPHENSON 

GENERAL  HARRISON,  the  famous 
Indian  fighter  who  became  President 
of  the  United  States,  was  in  command 
of  the  army  in  the  Northwest.  Tecumseh,  one 
of  the  greatest  Indians  that  ever  lived,  was 
planning  to  drive  all  the  settlers  out  of  the 
Ohio  region.  He  said  that  the  white  men  had 
cheated  the  Indians  out  of  their  land,  and  he 
was  eager  for  revenge.  The  Indians  began 
war,  but  in  the  fall  of  1811  they  were  defeated 
by  General  Harrison  in  the  Battle  of  Tippe- 
canoe,  in  Indiana. 

When  the  War  of  1812  began,  Tecumseh 
took  sides  with  the  British.    He  thought  his 
time  for  revenge  had  come. 
At  this  period  there  were  three  forts  near 
126 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

the  shore  of  Lake  Erie.  Fort  Meigs  on  the 
Maumee  River  was  the  most  important  of  the 
three. 

In  the  summer  of  1813,  General  Proctor 
with  a  force  of  British  regulars  and  two  or 
three  thousand  Indians  crossed  Lake  Erie 
to  capture  Fort  Meigs. 

After  a  short  time  he  decided  to  withdraw. 
He  put  his  regulars  on  board  the  gunboats, 
and  ordered  the  Indians  to  follow  him  along 
the  shore;  for  he  now  meant  to  attack  another 
of  the  three  forts,  a  little  stockade  known  as 
Fort  Stephenson. 

Fort  Stephenson  was  an  old  stockade  built 
round  an  Indian  trader's  house  on  the  San- 
dusky  River,  about  twenty  miles  from  Lake 
Erie.  It  is  now  the  little  city  of  Fremont. 
The  fort,  enclosing  about  an  acre  of  ground, 
was  built  of  oak  logs  set  in  the  ground  and 
sharpened  at  the  top.  At  the  corners  of  the 
fort  were  little  blockhouses.  Outside  the  fort 
was  a  ditch  about  eight  feet  deep  and  five  or 
six  feet  wide. 

127 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

Now  this  fort  was  an  important  post.  Its 
loss  would  leave  the  way  open  for  an  attack 
on  the  storehouses  up  the  river,  in  which  were 
kept  the  supplies  for  all  the  American  forces 
in  the  Northwest. 

When  General  Harrison  learned  what  the 
British  planned  to  do,  he  sent  a  scout  named 
William  Connor  to  carry  a  letter  to  Major 
Croghan. 

"  Destroy  the  fort  and  the  stores  and  re 
treat  if  you  can  do  so  in  season/ '  were  the 
orders. 

The  woods  were  full  of  Tecumseh's  painted 
warriors.  More  than  once  the  scout  was 
forced  to  seek  the  shelter  of  the  hushes  to 
escape  the  prowling  savages.  It  is  no  wonder 
that  he  lost  his  way  and  was  a  long  time  in 
reaching  the  fort. 

"  I  must  see  Major  Croghan,"  said  Connor, 
when  admitted  to  the  stockade. 

"  I'm  your  man,"  replied  a  young  officer; 
"  what  do  you  want?  r> 

"  No,  young  fellow,  you  can't  fool  me," 
128 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

objected  the  scout,  looking  at  the  smooth 
faced  young  man.  "  You  are  nothing  but  a 
boy,  and  I  want  to  see  the  commander.  I 
have  a  letter  for  him  from  General  Harri 
son." 

"  I'm  Major  Croghan,"  insisted  the  young 
commander.  "  I  am  twenty-one  years  old; 
old  enough  to  command  this  fort  and  old 
enough  to  put  you  in  irons  if  you  don't  hand 
over  that  letter  in  two  minutes." 

"  This  beats  me,"  muttered  the  old  scout; 
and  without  another  word  he  gave  the  letter 
to  the  young  officer. 

"  Wait  here,"  said  Major  Croghan;  and 
he  went  out  to  talk  with  his  officers,  who  were 
even  younger  than  himself. 

In  a  few  minutes  he  returned  with  a  letter 
to  General  Harrison.  It  ran  as  follows:  "  It 
is  too  late  to  retreat.  We  have  made  up  our 
minds  to  defend  this  place,  and  by  heaven  we 
will." 

This  letter  from  so  young  a  man  was  too 
much  for  an  old  soldier  like  General  Harrison. 

129 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

He  at  once  called  the  young  officer  to  head 
quarters  to  explain  matters. 

Now  Major  Croghan  was  a  great  favorite 
with  the  old  Indian  fighter.  His  family  was 
famous  in  American  history.  He  was  the 
nephew  of  the  celebrated  George  Rogers 
Clarke,  who  saved  for  us  the  three  great 
states  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois.  His 
father  had  fought  through  the  Revolution. 
After  graduating  from  college,  at  the  age  of 
eighteen,  young  Croghan  went  into  the  army 
and  soon  proved  his  courage.  For  bravery  at 
the  siege  of  Fort  Meigs,  he  was  made  a  major 
in  the  regular  army,  when  he  was  only  twenty 
years  old. 

The  young  major  told  General  Harrison  it 
was  not  safe  to  retreat  from  Fort  Stephenson 
with  so  large  a  force;  for  the  woods  were 
full  of  savages.  He  declared  he  had  sent  him 
the  note  with  the  hope  that  it  would  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  Indians.  He  also  insisted  he 
could  hold  the  fort  or  make  the  British  pay 
dearly  for  it. 

130 


THE    AMERICAN    HISTORY    STORY  -  BOOK 

Harrison  agreed  and  hurried  him  back  to 
his  command. 

The  garrison  at  Fort  Stephenson  worked  all 
day  and  all  night  to  get  ready  for  the  at 
tack. 

About  noon  the  next  day,  which  was  the 
first  day  of  August,  large  numbers  of  Indians 
were  seen  skulking  near.  We  are  told  that 
one  redskin,  bolder  than  the  rest,  climbed  to 
the  top  of  an  elm  tree  which  overlooked  the 
stockade.  He  was  shot  dead  by  a  Kentucky 
rifleman.  Several  others  did  the  same  thing 
and  met  with  the  same  fate. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  General 
Proctor,  the  British  commander,  sailed  up  the 
Sandusky  River  with  his  gunboats,  landed 
about  five  hundred  soldiers,  and  planted  his 
cannon.  At  the  same  time  the  Indians 
showed  themselves  all  about  in  the  woods. 

General  Proctor  now  sent  Colonel  Elliott  to 
the  fort. 

Lieutenant  Shipp,  the  youngest  officer  in 
the  stockade,  went  out  to  meet  him. 

131 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

"  I  am  sent  to  demand  the  surrender  of  your 
fort/7  began  the  British  officer. 

"  We  shall  defend  it  to  the  last  moment." 

"  Look  at  these  four  hundred  veteran 
soldiers  and  seven  hundred  Indians.  We  are 
sure  to  take  the  place.  The  Indians  will  kill 
all  of  you.  Tell  your  commander  to  surrender 
and  save  the  shedding  of  blood." 

"  When  you  take  the  fort  there  will  be 
nobody  left  to  kill;  they  will  all  be  dead." 

"  You're  a  fine  young  man,  too  fine  to  be 
tomahawked  and  scalped  by  the  savages," 
continued  the  British  officer;  "  don't  be 
stubborn." 

At  this  moment  an  Indian  sprang  out  of  the 
bushes  and  tried  to  snatch  the  lieutenant's 
sword;  but  Shipp,  not  the  least  afraid,  drew 
the  weapon  and  made  as  if  to  kill  the  Indian. 

Colonel  Elliott  now  begged  the  young  officer 
to  go  back  with  all  speed  if  he  would  save  his 
life,  since  he  could  not  control  the  Indians. 

All  this  time  Major  Croghan  was  watching 
the  scene.  He  saw  the  insult  to  his  messenger. 

132 


THE    AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

"  Come  in,  Shipp!  "  he  shouted.  "  We'll 
blow  them  all  to  pieces/7 

The  battle  now  began  in  real  earnest.  The 
six  cannon  on  the  shore  and  the  gunboats 
opened  fire  on  the  little  stockade. 

In  the  fort  were  one  hundred  and  sixty-two 
men  and  one  cannon,  an  old  six-pounder. 

"  Put  Queen  Bess  on  the  blockhouse  on 
the  north  side,"  ordered  Major  Croghan. 
"  Hide  her  from  the  British.  Load  her  to 
the  muzzle  and  point  her  so  that  she  will 
sweep  the  ditch." 

That  night  and  the  next  day  until  about 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  British  can 
non  and  the  regulars  pounded  away  at  the 
little  fort. 

"  Keep  cool,  boys,"  said  Major  Croghan, 
calmly.  "  Shoot  to  kill.  We  must  beat  them 
or  die." 

The  Indians  did  not  like  this  kind  of  fight 
ing.  There  was  no  chance  to  skulk  behind 
trees.  They  had  taken  no  scalps.  If  they 
showed  themselves,  the  sure  aim  of  the  Ken- 

133 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

tucky  riflemen  brought  them  down.  They 
grew  restless.  They  wanted  to  get  into  the 
fort  and  begin  the  bloody  work. 

A  thunderstorm  was  rising,  and  by  four 
o'clock  it  was  almost  as  dark  as  night. 

General  Proctor  decided  to  storm  the  fort 
on  the  northwest  corner  and  make  an  attack 
on  the  south  side  at  the  same  time.  Under 
cover  of  the  smoke  the  regulars  marched 
forward. 

"  Cut  down  the  pickets!  Show  the  Yankees 
no  quarter!  "  shouted  Colonel  Short,  leaping 
into  the  ditch. 

A  deadly  rifle  fire  flashed  from  every  port 
hole.  The  redcoats  were  checked  and  thrown 
into  confusion.  They  quickly  rallied.  Again 
the  men  leaped  to  the  front  to  cut  down  the 
oak  logs. 

The  colonel's  voice  again  rang  out. 

"  Cut  away  the  pickets,  my  boys!  No 
quarter  for  the  Yankees." 

These  were  his  last  words.  He  fell  headlong, 
pierced  by  a  bullet. 

134 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

All  this  time  good  Queen  Bess,  loaded  to 
the  muzzle  with  spikes  and  slugs,  was  hid 
from  the  sight  of  the  enemy.  The  port  now 
flew  open.  The  old  six-pounder  spoke  with 
terrible  effect.  Grapeshot  and  slugs  raked  the 
ditch  and  filled  it  with  the  struggling  soldiers. 
More  than  a  hundred  men  lay  wounded  or  dead. 

The  British  did  not  rally.  Without  a 
leader,  they  turned  and  fled  to  the  woods, 
followed  by  the  deadly  fire  of  the  Kentucky 
sharpshooters. 

The  two  hundred  regulars  storming  the 
fort  on  the  south  side  were  at  the  mercy  of  the 
riflemen.  They  were  soon  forced  to  seek 
shelter. 

The  garrison  had  but  one  man  killed  and 
less  than  a  dozen  wounded.  Of  the  British 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  men  were 
killed  or  wounded.  The  savages  had  kept 
themselves  out  of  the  way,  in  a  ravine  near 
the  fort.  The  whole  attack  was  borne  by  the 
British  regulars,  who  acted  most  bravely. 

After  dark  General  Proctor  stole  on  board 
135 


THE   AMERICAN   HISTORY   STORY  -  BOOK 

his  gunboat,  leaving  behind  him  his  stores, 
guns,  and  clothing.  The  next  morning  the 
redcoats  were  far  out  on  Lake  Erie.  Not  an 
Indian  was  to  be  seen. 

The  little  band  of  fighters  had  saved  the 
region  from  British  conquest.  Never  again 
did  a  British  soldier  set  foot  in  Ohio  or  Michi 
gan  except  as  a  prisoner. 

Major  Croghan  lived  for  forty  years  after 
this  gallant  fight.  He  made  good  the  promise 
of  his  youth.  At  twenty-seven  he  was  pro 
moted  to  be  a  colonel.  After  the  war  he  filled 
many  offices  of  trust  and  honor  in  the  South. 
He  was  the  youngest  man,  it  is  said,  ever  to 
receive  the  gold  medal  of  honor  awarded  by 
Congress  for  heroic  exploits.  General  Harri 
son's  report  contained  the  following: 

"  It  will  not  be  the  least  of  General  Proctor's 
mortifications  to  find  that  he  has  been  baffled 
by  a  young  man  who  has  just  passed  his 
twenty-first  birthday.  He  is,  however,  the 
hero,  worthy  of  his  gallant  uncle,  General 
George  Rogers  Clarke." 

136 


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